Real estate investmnets are capital intensive and if you don't have extra money sitting around to make the emergency repair when it happens you'll find yourself in a terrible position. 

It sounds like a few people on this thread don't really understand how PMC's operate or why they may charge extra fees.

There are a lot of other strategies one can try, but what you do is the lowest risk, the most predictable outcome and takes the least amount of time and energy.I always suggest to use an extra time an investor has to think about building or buying a business that generates cash to accelerate the growth curve. 

Yes buying distressed property is a good way to get extra profit.  

For me, this is just a few extra bucks I have to pay to the CPA industrial complex.

In many markets section 8 is higher than market rate. and investors need that extra return to mitigate the risk of sec 8 tenants generally speaking.

   #9  SWEETEN the POT:    Do not think that paying extra rent is going to entice owners to rent to you. 

The 2-3% points in extra cost are worth it if you plan on using as I described above because the use would be for a few  months at most and due to that short term use you can survive a rate adjustment up.But, if you have no plan to payoff the debt like when using for a down payment on a long term hold why pay the extra cost for flexibility and have the additional risk of the adjustable rate with the amortization looming when you can get a fixed rate second mortgage. 

Adding mass to the walls works wonders—attach Mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV) to the shared wall, then cover it with a layer of 5/8” drywall using Green Glue soundproofing compound for extra noise-blocking power.

More traps, patch up holes, tell your tenants to be extra clean when dealing with food.