@Dennis Tierney Do some research on Chicago's West Loop.This is the old meat-packing neighboorhood, which has been re-purposed into commercial space.

My plan includes the use and repurposing of alternative building materials which cost less and require less time and effort to complete the basic structure.  

Some classic books written in decades ago may make more sense from this perspectives, and they are around because they have been proven.Another thing I find is if you read books written in different times, you can second hand experience of complete real estate cycles.

@Coran ClementsHi Coran,If you have another deal to repurpose the capital, then it may be wise to sell.

Because it was more of a commercial building before, all the ductwork is in the ceiling, the ceilings are the typical florescent lights and particle-board-ish squares you see in offices, and the bathrooms are small with those classic tiny, heavy white sinks with ugly faucets that you find in other commercial buildings (where you can see the metal piping underneath)Has anyone tried to renovate a building like this?

Including utilities in a rental agreement can be done and I suppose you can make some money for it but you are taking on additional risk for an unexpected upside.If you look into apartments, one of the classic ways to add value and increase revenue is to take a building/complex that has included utilities and break these out through a RUBS system or similar for tenant's to pay their own way.At the end of the day, consider what's standard in your market and take a business decision from there what's best for your business balancing risks with upsides.

I plan to remove the pet rent amount, I believe I need to amend the lease to make this official.Can you please share the document that you use so that I can repurpose.

The scenario of selling one and using the proceeds as down payments on multiples is a classic 1031 strategy called a diversification exchange. 

"The Richest Man In Babylon" is a classic, but the one that helped me most in the beginning was the "Millionaire Real Estate Investor" by Gary Keller.

@Shondell Alford Here is my "starting up" collection:Read http://greeneincome.com/index....Read Dave Ramsey book "The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness." and complete the baby steps there.Read Scott Trench’s book “Set for Life.”Finish the school and get your degree - you'll need it later, especially if it's business management.Get a job first where you have W2 income.