It's clear as mud to me, but my carrier explained that the one rental which we've had the longest was originally covered that way and that's how they prefer to keep it.

I had considered it but there are a few undesirable traits with the property that make me worry about holding it for 30 years or more.

Montebello - and most of the SGV is a very hot market - you're seeing some amazing appreciation in that whole area where even the neighboring cities that used to be undesirable have starting list prices of 500K!  

Ohio may be undesirable to some but the majority of us who are from here, love it here and aren't going anywhere.  

Is there ANY hope of finding someone who pro finishes drywall after already hung and first coat of tape/mud???

Those are 12x24 tiles with a 2x2 mud pan for the walk in shower.

As far as crime rates goes, yes I understand the stats, but I also understand that there are many neighborhoods in Detroit that are gentrifying and its matter of finding the gems in the rough and firing the trigger..... pardon the punI  did this in Atlanta, I purchased in neighborhoods that were considered rough and undesirable at the time for around $35,000 today this SFH are worth $185,000 each and renting at on average $1400 pm. 

Hopefully that made your decision as clear as mud.

I recently got a call from an individual about a couple of condos he owns, but i looked them up on zillow & the estimation was 49k & they were also in a very undesirable area.

One thing we don't bother DIYing anymore is taping and mudding.