The M/F is a couple and they have a sorta temp roommate who is staying with them and this may last a while..."

I have one SFH in Tempe, rented out.

Recent repairs on 4 family.Sept-- repair screen door--costs 8.00 for screen 1hr labor, replace light fixture cost 18.00 1 hour laborOct-- Water leak in roof Temp patch to valley--- costs paint 68.00 (5 gal) roller covers 6pk 9.00, drywall compound 0.00 (left over from previous repair) 10 hours labor, professional repair to slate roof and replace 2 valleys 750.00Nov-- Repair toilet-- rebuild kit 16.00 shutoff valve 4.00 short flex line 4.00 labor 1hour.If I had to pay for labor on these repairs it would have driven the price way up.

The wife there is pregnant so that has me a bit concerned as I know I would not want mine in 90 indoor temps being pregnant. 

The plumbing issue that Julie is referring to happened during the deep freeze of 20 below temps for weeks in Indy, and pipes were bursting all over town. 

I definitely snagged a deal on my triplex in Tempe, AZ.

I'm new to the investment world as well I will be closing my first deal in by the end of the month I was also temped to buy far away due to a cheaper price range but I came to realize how important and valuable my time was and factored that into the cost of the project and decided to wait until something came up closer to me , I too have spent a year or two talking about investing and getting excited about it but never pulled the trigger , don't be afraid to wait and network with everyone you can in your local area , I made friends with just about everyone I could so I could get the most information even though I feel my network is small It has been a powerful tool for me

Another thought might be how many weeks of Temp work would it take you to save up the amount you need and be self sufficient (and cut your costs).Just my 2 cents.

How to regulate temps up and down with what I assume to be one furnace?

Also, I do a lot of work in Tempe, if you want to connect and grab coffee let me know.