Very simply, large corporations pay into the tax base of that local community and that revenue is used to improve the community and make it a more attractive place for people to live.

Better education and training might be one way to improve the situation  Damn, sorry to hear that.

You just have to be careful because some sales agents will just advise you to over improve the property because it makes their job easier.

This ensures you lock in better terms based on the improved cash flow.

That loan will cost you around $800/month for 30 years.I think this improves things, and your only loss would be the cost of the equity loan and the payments you've made so far on your IRA and credit cards. 

Plenty exist for private lenders (which is what seller financing is) and can track payments and am tables and also do automatic electronic withdrawal (ACH debit) which helps improve the likelihood of getting paid promptly each month.

My strategy would then be to lease at least two of the renovated units, increasing occupancy to 90%, which could improve the chances of securing favorable terms for refinancing.I haven't pitched it to the seller yet.

Regarding a book, I learned a lot from Location, location, location by Ozzie Jurock and he has quite a bit of free content on YouTube and his website.

My suggestion to improve your cash flow is to find another bank/lender.

Debt Terms - We anticipate re-evaluating a refinance in 12-24 months, as the capital markets improve.