Here's an idea for a possible creative additional income stream for rental properties AND obtaining a small 0% interest / net neutral loan for each property: home security systems. 1) Negotiate a deal with an alarm company to be paid as one of their sales reps (ie. $500 upfront for each "sale" of a security system for each of your properties).

Stay as neutral as possible.

There is another thread you can also read on thishttp://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/52/topics/94944-neutral-paint-colors-for-rental-propertiesI hope I got that right.Neutral Paint Colors for Rental PropertiesThat might work better.

You do not want a bad investment to have a neutral affect on your other investments (portfolio averaging).

Since you are learning about a property this size to turnaround plus looking at family money as the investment partners that changes the whole dynamic of investing in this property.You have to make sure under any circumstances that this investment will be a success or the collateral damage could live on forever.Whether it is an outside investor or not you should make sure the money is paid back but especially anything with family involved.In a down market cycle that is improving to neutral investors usually want to churn the money as much as possible to pick up the most deals.

This is not a positive or negative, but rather a neutral outcome.

Regarding your tangent question, I'm a patent attorney and work in an Intellectual Property firm with 12 other patent attorneys.The properties I'm thinking of investing in are newly built near a large metro area and would generate a neutral or even slightly positive cash flow even before taxes (i.e., before writing off interest, prop. taxes and considering depreciation).

The title company is a neutral third party.  

Any crazy painted rooms - get them neutral.

Good, Bad or neutral - - it's bad business to use the hard sell - - you've all heard it in various ways - - Take this now before I leave or you'll never find another offer like this.I walked out of a car showroom on this approach and found a delightful experience just down the block.This approach relies upon buyer ignorance and current market prices.