You make an great point, to keep stashing cash aside to prepare for the unavoidable "unexpected" costs of physical REI.

I know talking to them is a great way to do this, but I want it to be somewhat of a surprise.

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

I find that surprising and wondering how that is possible.As someone with a full-time W2 job who is a limited partner in a real estate syndication with less than 1% share and does not satisfy any material particiapation criteria, I would have expected the loss to be passive.

More likely, they will be late the next month, and the next and an unexpected event will make them short again soon, and the another.

Unfortunately, I haven't gotten any pictures yet.Here's where I'm at financially: I had $10k in savings, but after some unexpected hospital bills for my dad, it's looking more like $8k now.

Does it surprise you that building materials would also increase? 

This is an unexpected expense on top of a complete renovation plan for the winter.

Be very specific about what needs to be done to avoid any surprises later.Following this process helps ensure that you don’t underestimate renovation costs and can plan your budget more accurately.

I wouldn't be surprised if just about every investor on BP doesn't have someone who's not paying their rent or hasn't for the past 30-60+ days.