I am new to investing and have a small pot of cash to start with.

Take away taxes, insurance, and reserves and your net is probably around $800/mo.

Pot growers.. 

I saw the young guys on base get married, have kids, spend way more than they made, and never have a pot to piss in.

Get basic cooking things--toaster, bender, set of dishes, pots and pan, mixing bowls, mixer, serving spoons, spatulas, flatware, etc.4. 

Cut the grass, trim that huge bush/tree in the front, put a couple flowers in pots near entry. 

So its not really in the city/county's best interest to approve plans for another mobile home park that will be sucking resources from the municipality and not putting much back into the pot in the form of property taxes collected. 

LOL.. you aint seen nothing to you seen Jackson MS pot holes and uneven streets.. it the yazoo clay that get them that way

Here's my point, if you drive on the property and the parking lot has pot holes and you can't see the striping, weeds are overgrowing the sign, the exterior of the building has been painted in 15 years or, if brick, has never been power washed, what's going to be your first impression as you drive on the property, if you even make the turn.If you do come on the property everything you look at, even if the interior has been completely renovated, you're going to find fault and continue to look for what else is wrong.That said, as you're renovating the exterior the tenants will actually start to get excited.

Personally I like a hybrid approach where you have a pot of money set aside but also add to that with some portion of your monthly income.