Maybe if you have a friend or family member that is a veteran you could have them buy more expensive items like appliances or lumber and use their discount.

If, after getting the refi figures, it still only calculates out as a marginal investment (or a loser), pull the trigger, say NEXT, and unload the property and headaches.  

What you don't want to do is price it in a way that it will end up sitting there for a year and you have to take major price cuts to unload it.

You, however, have given me a ton of info and I will definitely contact you when I begin unloading some buy and holds.  

If i were in financial distress the first thing I'd do is stop going to the cottage and be happy to unload it quickly.Ask a million questions!

Plus your exit strategy becomes easier when you have an updated property with higher rents that you can unload if needed.

@Micheal Webster Yes I have a emd on the place.I have put a email into my account manager regarding trying to unload it myself, but haven't received a call back yet.

The thing to remember though is that you can create a solid rental portfolio here, or a legitimate rehabbing and unloading business.  

Here are the few that I know of:  Lumber Liquidators in Albany.Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Oakland.Sincere Home Décor in Oakland.

I had other projects going on closer to home so I let this ride for quite a while (i.e. almost a year) before I realized that I was going to have to take action myself to unload the property.