So a room used for laundry that is 100 sq ft (quite common) costs the owner about $72,000 over the course of a decade (in today's dollars). 

This is has BK written all over it with monetary wipe outs..

Additionally, we have authored over two hundred blog posts on our website, covering a wide range of topics, many of which focus specifically on investing in Redding, CA.

Plus, investing in new construction has meant fewer headaches and better cash flow for us over time.Real estate isn’t without its challenges, but it’s hands-down the best way we’ve found to build long-term wealth.

Learn to control your spending and pay off debt.

Maybe refer this over to Barry Minkow ??

I also believe that as an investor, you are never going to be more ready to spend money than in the beginning.

You could offer cash for keys to get her out-NEVER hand over any money until they are out and you have the keys and signed paperwork that they are out of the property. 

If your time is worth $500 an hour I would spend the 5k on 10 hours of searching for a free mentor.

At one time, I told people to spend money on a skip trace so they could file the in personam QT lawsuit (the one where you can served lawsuit papers on all defendants) and avoid the expense of the in rem QT lawsuit (the one where you need a GAL).