I prioritize appreciation, tax benefits (rental property expenses, depreciation), ability to use leverage, and passing on generational wealth with real estate. 

My sister-in-law has found a house in their neighborhood that has been vacant for years, and lo and behold, the owner has passed away and the heirs are looking to sell.

You can also ask the seller if they would entertain some owner financing. 

I would like to think in a way that investment in general, and the real estate investment, start with a solid economic reason - "Why do you Invest, where you invested".To elaborate on below - Vegas is a great example where no real economic driver exists and when you invest there, you should be aware that is a highly volatile market (side note: i both 2 properties there in 2011 and 2012 and i sold both this year) and you should pay an extra attention and be prepare to reposition capital.It's clear, if you invest in Vegas or Orlando (just 2x entertainment cities) you will expect ups and downs and you need to position yourself with extra reserves and extra caution if you are planning to stay in these market for long term. 

When landlords struggle to protect private property rights, they may either leave the market entirely or pass the increased costs on to tenants.

And there's been MANY times I get bookings that come through for same day check-in and they "pay" with an invalid card but because Booking simply collects and passes along the card number, if I don't notice the card declined in my system they get a check-in code and I'm chasing people down for money.

Pass. 

I am planning to pass on the cost to them both 50/50 since i dont know who flipped the switch, what do you think? 

Have you passed the tax assessment yet, or is this your first year of owning it?

That doesn't pass a cursory BS test, and risks the appraiser calling out either fixed plumbing + permits, or a licensed professional remove the bathroom.