Start with BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginners Guide (free).

For your second question-either refinance it (you say it is mortgage free, so get a mortgage and pull out that money) or try a home equity line of credit (may not work as it is a rental).The difference in insurance quote with 5% and no coverage is ~ $1200 for the year.

Feel free to reach out—I’d be happy to assist!

Turns out, the previous owner did take many steps to mitigate the moisture damage and the home was very dry and mold free when we acquired it.

If you would like to chat more about anything specific in this area, feel free to connect.

However I decided to go with a course by https://learntitlesearching.co...If anyone is interested in knowing how it goes feel free to ping me!

I never make a loan, no matter the equity position, that the past actions of the borrowers lead me to wonder if they will be likely to pay me back. 

If you ever want to discuss strategies, share experiences, or need additional resources, feel free to reach out.

When I brought up the cleaning fee he threatened to just leave once the end of the month was up and he'd have his gf clean for free which has not happened to this point already. 

It will likely be a web of contractors, engineers, and architects, but some those are ultimately leading to the developer.