In addition to interest and repairs, you can deduct off a 27 year depreciation on the home. 

Electric: is the easiest to split, but may require holes cut in walls to separate the units.Gas: gas lines aren't as flexible as wires, but it can usually be done affordably.Water: most cities will NOT install additional water meters on a property.

I have a large lump sum saved in an investment account for down-payment and any additional costs.

.): ~$1600Savings available: ~15-20% of the purchase priceCash to close: ~$34kRehab estimate: ~$34kRemaining reserves: ~$20-25kTo fully fund the rehab, I’d need to come up with an additional ~$15k in the short term, which I anticipate paying back quickly once the rental portion is generating income.

But this comes with pockets of C/D neighborhoods, and higher potential for headaches;  in addition, appreciation in these zips has probably maxed out for a while.

If we had hundreds of loans out, we’d have enough monthly income to aggregate the payments into additional loans—but we don’t.If you do this, your note will have to have a compounding clause in it, provided by your lending attorney.

We're fortunate to have an above-average income and live well below our means.This summer, we’ll be moving to Detroit (PCSing in August), and we’ve saved about $120,000 to invest in addition to having funds set aside for the home we’ll purchase in Detroit.The reason I’m posting is that I’m struggling to decide how to best allocate the $120k.

(if the buyer wants a more solid commitment)Once a buyer has spent money they are somewhat vested in buying the property and that gives additional negotiating power to the seller.

Removing it cost us an additional $5k over our estimate.  

Additionally, as a new investor, I am curious if you would recommend this strategy based on your accumulated knowledge and expertise.