Quote from @Havital Miltz: I think it will be very difficult to show 750 hours, most tenants deposit the rent, so there is no rent collection. unless you have a very high turnover of tenants, where  you need to show the houses again and again,  I am not sure where you can "find" all those hours for her, especially that you say the properties are newer, so how much repairs would you have?

Large deposits are nice, but very difficult to actually get access to escrow funds in the event of default.

I assume a higher upfront cost as far as land purchase and the actual build but you would have a brand new house, instant equity and hopefully maintenance free for quite a while.

The claims of 1hr to collect rent, produce receipts, and deposit checks also seems like a reasonable claim if done physically and not electronically.

Did you collect a pet deposit?

A good property manager can help with tenant screening, enforce lease terms, and handle evictions more efficiently if it comes to that.Require a Larger Security Deposit: Within the bounds of local regulations, a larger deposit can provide a cushion in case of damage or unpaid rent.Consider Rent Guarantee Insurance: Some companies offer insurance products that can cover lost rent in case of tenant default.

Give her 30 days notice now, keep her security deposit, and send her a additional bill for damages to the unit in lieu of taking her to court for the damages.  

If it's not a holiday, I would say, "No, the deposit remains in place until your lease ends."

We have some $ saved  but don’t have enough to put a full 20% deposit down as needed by most conventional lenders.

This is not the best way to invest in real estate as you lose out on principal pay down but it gets you instant income that you can make mostly passive by hiring out the property management.