People who are knowledgeable about international real estate investing are few and far between on here so I'm trying to do my best to help those who want to explore this exciting world.

If they can't figure out how to make money, how are they going to teach you how to make money. 

As the equity grows, so does the cost of the property to you. 

Places to go for lending?

Usually you need to go to small community banks, credit unions, etc to get these kinds of loans.

It may seem trivial for $3-4K/yr, but just consider it as a necessary action to be able to sell one day, otherwise you're likely to be in a serious bind later. 

What I decided to do was work in what I was interested in and it led me to be an experienced real estate agent specializing in wholesaling off market properties in PA region specifically Philadelphia and surrounding areas such as Montgo, Delco etc.

Pricing your unit above market won't cause your unit to take 3 months to rent vs one month to rent at market rate.

I'd be willing to bet that there are plenty of small time developers in your market who would be happy to trade knowledge, experience and equity for your experience and services. 

so raising the rents might be the smart thing to do but it won't increase the value.on the cash thing - no, nothing to do with the renovation.