Taking into account the possibility of an equity gain from renovations and upgrades, keep the following in mind:Market Conditions: Depending on the state of the local market, changes such as bathroom and kitchen renovations may or may not have an influence on a condo's equity.

The Surety company is agreeing to Guarantee the Bond amount if you do not perform and the bond is called. 

Mid-term lease sounds valuable but hesitant to use capital and effort to furnish it when we really don't know how well that will perform.

I've searched and cannot find a website that will show days on market and a rent amount (per sqft or beds/baths) and whether they are increasing/decreasing, etc...  Ideally, I could choose a few cities to compare.  Of...

Stop periodically and give a hard look at how each is performing and if it is a good time to sell one or buy a new one. 

One thing sticks out in my real estate investment career: the constant increase of influence through acquisitions and activity.

These are great ways to present a property to influence a favorable appraisal.

Despite the lengthy delay, the work performed was basic cosmetic updates, not high-end flips.

Luxury and Eco are performing the best right now so consider leaning that way. 

You will have shills and influencers guide you to their guru bosses where they get paid referral fees.