My idea is to offer my skills, such as social media management, painting, or assisting with various menial tasks, in exchange for the opportunity to learn the trade.

If you manage homes built before 1978, there's a key regulation to be aware of: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires property managers and Landlords Nationwide to be certified in lead-based paint handling.

I really liked finding the probate houses there, which often have great structure and outdated paint/carpet.  

My vote is to repair, repair, repair.Water damage can lead to significant problems, from blistering / peeling paint to ceilings collapsing and electrical shorts.

if we could all go out and buy any old property and paint it and make a quick 50K, we would. 

I always go in with a simple offer of this is the rent, and we are also comfortable giving you a (insert something you need to do anyways like a basic, white paint job or a new appliance).This is one of the most uncomfortable parts of the business though, and the quicker you get over being able to have these conversations, the quicker you will be successful in this business.

How do you know 60k reno is really the price it should be, 60K is a MASSIVE job, Roof, 5- 8k, assuming, 25- 30 sq, Furnace $1700k, HW 1300, Spackle Paint, 3kish. 

And it includes - NOI, Appreciation, Amortization of the loan, and depreciation writeoff.The total of these will paint the picture of how your properties are actually performing.What is interesting is that each of these components will react differently depending on where and how you place your next investment. 

In contrast the one with a bunch of deferred maintenance has been enough of a headache I don't want to buy number 3 (primarily because I am not as good at painting and handyman work as I thought and have much less free time to work on it than I thought). 

It’s a small single family three bedroom one bathroom unit, I bought it for cheap and plan on renting on the higher scale by making minor improvements such as flooring, fresh paints and of course new kitchen and bathroom