My wife and I plan on doing the same type of live in/flip/rent model that y'all did.  

I'm awaiting delivery on Brandon Turner's book on Rental Property Investing at the moment as well.One of my biggest questions that I cannot find a solid answer to is about direct lenders/financing.  

The waters were already muddy.The current re-modelers policy is in the name of the LLC, not my personal name.  

I've just finished my 50-ton, though it's more for deliveries and warm-water sailing gigs than hard sea time.

Just be cognizant that the 10-75 unit apartment space (pick your unit range) does not have a 3rd party management model that is dedicated to it in many markets.  

With a project we have considers using shipping containers as an alternative to brick-and-water (due to delivery cost we parked that idea for another day).

It is definitely a viable business model.

I've purchased a used fridge for $200 that has done well for me over the years. some people prefer to buy new fridges rather than clean out their existing perfectly good one, and those discarded units taken away from an new purchase delivery are the ones that I usually end up buying once the retailer cleans them out and makes 100% profit.

But, assuming the business model isn't inherently flawed, with the right amount of hard work, knowledge and working capital, you should be able to survive and even thrive.  

Boarding lots of pets is a different business model than human residential housing.Sorry to hear about this situation.