I still think you could leverage some subledgers to clean up the main ledger and make things more transparent but if what you have works for you then awesome. 

Do a "clean eviction" as it is termed with a sheriff present that enforces the eviction, not you.

I then remodeled nasty bathroom (down to the studs) and cleaned the whole place enough to move in. 

If so perhaps she will let you clean up the home and take over the payments so you could then rent it out. 

Your first mistake.Second, write into all future lease agreements that "Tenant agrees to be responsible for all pest control" and prior to them moving in make sure it is absolutely clean and free of pests.  

A $55K house with a little cosmetic updating and clean up can easily rent for $950 which is good cashflow and better than long-term rentals close to the metroplex.  

Hi @Amiris Brown If this is your first purchase i wouldnt recommend starting out with a big project like that...usually it turns out bigger than what you thought... in any case if you really like that property and it has lots of issues i would suggest send the listing agent a backup contract. these usually fall through and you might be bae to pick it up at a lower price. also fnme- homepath stopped negotiating high price reductions about a year ago.. but they usually have an automated system that reduce the price once a month..also something very important to consider- if your'e planing to buy this property and keep it as a rental- because it has lots of mold you have have to get a remediation certificate that the house has been treated and clean. otherwise the tenants can hold you liable and take you to court if they feel the property  still have mold ,that can be very costly... 

Not only did my contractor done roof repair, clean gutters and cut the large branch hanging over the troubled are for around $450.00!  

I've had to hang plywood myself to limit water damage from a loose door (wasn't going to break anything that they'd have to repair, just cause me problems in the remodel), I've also told the bank to get someone to clean up trash left behind by illegal dumpers. 

He wrote:"During the recent dryer vent clean and check it was found that the ducting is not up to code.