I always enjoy learning about other markets, and this post gives a fantastic blend of data and local insights that really paint a full picture.The real estate stats are particularly interesting.

I bought a new house from them in Jan 2021 and the caulking and painting is already falling apart.

You still have flooring, cabinets, bathrooms, plumbing, insulation, paint, etc, so all that cost remains the same it would seem. 

And everyone wants to go to HD and buy Behr paint because consumer reports says it’s the best.

A really nice home with some extra touches (a little granite, better flooring, nicer paint job, nicer cabinets, etc.) compared to the area will make potential tenants fall in love with the place.  2) Tenants that bring or can swing their own appliances are more financially stable (or just stable in general, ha!)

The Left must resist the urge to “help” with short-sighted, counter-productive policies like rent control.

But Lo and Behold, you will have state regulators and prosecutors, coming after you, painting you as a Devil incarnate to make some headlines and parade themselves as protectors of poor home owners, who are set up and guaranteed to lose their homes when they have no options to reinstate the loan a day before auction. 

I breakdown my budgets by Category (Roofing, Siding, Painting, Electrical, etc.) 

If you are just painting and replacing carpet, you still need to move into the home within 60 days of buying. 

There is no given answer here, because the whole property needs to be relatively consistent.Kitchens and baths are the common answer, but if they are passable and you choose to invest in them anyways at the expense of peeling paint (or off putting exterior color) and overgrown landscaping, the appraiser and tenant will be walking up with a bad taste in their mouth, thereby not valuing the interior work you have done.But think about the general flow of someone looking to rent: more bedrooms will typically dictate more rent.