This statement demonstrates a profound ignorance of the real estate sales process and the issues that Realtors routinely have to overcome. 

Like you, only the main part of the house was really desirable/riverfront, I experimented with renting the garage apartment on its own but didn't get many takers, and it always made me uncomfortable to have two groups on the property at once.  

Additionally many property managers self perform routine maintenance and repairs and see further incentive to do the work.  

You can certainly have an attorney look over the documents/process if you are uncomfortable doing so yourself.

We would live for free but I’m worried we would be too uncomfortable.

Set up a plan with filters and routine check ups on the unit. 4) The right vendor might cost more...

Extensively rehabbing properties adds another layer of complexity to investing that new investors seem to routinely blow off as just a minor annoyance.

Fix any mistakes, errors, ommisions, and raise that score. 2) Like many others said, identify and implement money saving tips to your daily life and routine and hopefully build some savings to use as either a down payment or reserves etc.3) Leverage your pro membership to run at least 5 property analysis a day, at the BARE minimum!

My summers off from teaching were spent with my sons painting and performing routine maintenance on our rental units.

What your proposing is not an issue and is routinely structured this way by many investors.