In my opinion, house hacking is the easiest way to get into the RE game with the lowest money out of pocket...plus if you throw in a renovation loan like the 203k or homestyle, you can boost your worth quickly!

I’ll just start out by saying I’m not a fan of syndications and own a number of single family rentals just to mark my position from the outset;  but the answers as to “why” may provide enlightenment to you, so I will throw a few out for your consideration.., some of which you mention, so it seems you must be aware of them.As an investor, your goal is typically  to maximize your return and minimize your risk.  

I'm asking specifically because I am thinking about throwing a treadmill or elliptical machine in the living room if the person wants to exercise a little while they're there.The unit isn't huge (around 1k sq feet) and it will probably look tacky, but I was wondering if other people have found value in providing some simple exercise equipment, even if it seems out of place.

There are going to be three levels of addressing this 1) things you can simply go there and do anytime (pick up pet waste and throw it away) 2) things you can do given proper notice (enter the unit and inspect, repair damage etc) and 3) things you can only do given proper process/procedure (notice to vacate, increase rent etc.)

I was estimating the ARV at 160-165k which I don’t know what it will be for sure but I’m a little worried it might be less which throws a wrench in things as well. 

He was also featured on the local news station for his innovative work.The tenant is of course taking no responsibility for any of his actions or the damage, and he mainly just throws out empty and somewhat comical threats about a team of lawyers on standby, accusations of insurance fraud, and leaving bad reviews for the property manager.

The renovation budget can be artificially inflated so you can have a "cash pillow" for maintenance or anything else really.The conventional loan for purchase and rehab is the most commonly used by investorsIf you have a company it is also possible to apply for loans but it is necessary to have at least 6 months of activity.

Some times in a slow market and we need to attract tenant to sign a lease, we throw in some of these items because the cost of individual items is less than we lowering the rent by even $50 a month ($600 a year).

Maybe it's not THIS property, but cashing out is a great way to throw a bunch of money away by giving it back to the feds.

I share that personal story, not to throw shade on any who have had a bad experience with bad tenants on the program, because they do exist, but to shed light on how effective and life-changing it can be when the users leverage it as intended, and the landlord also gains by housing those types of tenants.