I figured:  I'm not 'selling' the house - upkeep is ongoing in a rental - I thought applicants would be 'impressed' with a landlord who takes care of the property, and wouldn't mind some minor (mostly) issues that I'm tending to.

If you put extra money on the left end, the only thing that changes is that the lever tilts and the property slides closer towards you faster, but you are now controlling the property using much more weight on the left end (unnecessary). 

This is why those good CPAs are worth their weight in gold!  

The weight, believe it or not is a big deal.

I'm interested in discovering more niche markets that are under-marketed to......Like maybe 70+ year old with large homes..... maybe the want a smaller place with less upkeep, maybe they want to buy a RV and travel.

This is tough but I have been examining similar scenarios and believe a compensation model that is weighted to the roi of the property makes the most sense  (i.e. a 3% payment for returning 20+%, 2% for 15-20%, etc....  

Landscaping upkeep, mowing the grass, shoveling the snow, etc.

You can also testify as to your own opinion of value but that may not be given a ton of weight.

The property is zoned residential two family.And no, no meth lab just abandon in a upper c class neighborhood and the owner couldn't afford the up keep.

You'll have a solid history of W2s to show a lender and no weight on your shoulders -- that is an amazing feeling and a great place to start "adult life"!