Please let me know if you know areas that would fall in the cap of our budget.

The real issue is that they didn’t have a plan to monitor usage or set up protections to minimize costs during the eviction process.Ideally, the PM could’ve done things like:Limit access to unnecessary areas to reduce power use.Install smart thermostats to keep heat at a safe minimum.Request a utility cap in court during eviction proceedings (if allowed in your area).Bottom line: It’s less about the utility switch itself and more about proactively managing costs once the tenant overstayed.bro what? 

To have a chance at success it is critical to have a team that knows the city very well and that includes both your realtor and your property manager.The areas that look like you're getting good cash flow for an inexpensive property are often D-class neighborhoods where you'll have to deal with frequent turnover and difficult tenants.I'm not saying you cannot be successful owning rentals in Baltimore City.

out of state is more difficult than advertised. do you already own a primary residence? 

It's difficult to have a site with the functionality of BP that works the same on an app; a lot of designers are moving towards phone-optimizing language that essentially gives you the website on your phone without you having to pinch or drag to make the view make sense.

For your ~$10K fee, I expect for you to be thorough and clear and make sure that these things are known as it is difficult to see everything on video.

More difficult after spending money on a rehab, but it might be worth an appointment with an attorney.  

I am not sure what my next move is (stay with the DST and lose $ or move to the REIT and eventually have to pay cap gains tax if performance isn't good). 

Selling it now vs renting, will give your dad more money and he won't have to worry about renters or cap gains. 

Note: We do 50+ investment property loans a month and the most important thing I tell BUYERS of properties being sold as or soon to be STR is make sure you are paying the market price per square foot and do NOT buy based on income approach/CAP rate.