I understand that, as a buy-and-hold investor, it is important to set aside a certain amount of cash in order to cover maintenance and capital expenditures.It seems a bit odd, though, that these are typically expressed as a percentage of the gross monthly income.

You can express your empathy with the cleaners but from a legal standpoint unless your lease states otherwise it should go to all 5.  

If it were my deal and this concern were expressed, I'd take the 2m it takes to call UW for an answer, but I'd be shocked if it were an issue.

If there is no express provision within your lease agreement and no express law stating not to count holidays, then clearly you are "right" to charge a late fee. 

A friend had expressed interest in getting into real estate a while back, so when this duplex presented itself, I contacted him to find out if he would be interested in partnering - he was. 

Hit 1 tier at a time.Hand write letters to the owners expressing your interest and offer to buy them coffee or lunch.

And being able to explain why it’s a great deal is great advice I’ve never heard expressed before.I’m actually focusing on the UT market now as it’s cheaper than CA and I have friends and family there.

There are lots of nice people who are ineffective.Should you have expressed your concerns? 

Hi everyone :)I am new to bigger pockets and can't express how excited I am to embark on this journey of real estate investing.

One tenant looked forward to pressure washing our detached metal garage, and several express joy in chopping firewood salvaged from trees blown down in a storm.