He recommended we do some work to move the outflow from nearby downspouts further away and then clean/reseal the interior wall.

I appreciate the suggestion to check out Tim Delaney’s posts - I'll definitely do that.FYI - I’m also a regular listener and fan of your BiggerPockets Money podcast, so it’s great to connect with the community here.

The ceiling can be durock or greenboard, never regular drywall. 

STR's don't create real estate value they are a business  I have a dozen and am building 2 more this year so I like the business model and I have over 100 regular rentals.   

As Plano is a pretty nice clean cut buttoned up type of community they don't seem to have a lot of tolerance even for just a few bad apples.Dallas is considering a ban. 

Most blinds are tough and time consuming to clean, prone to breakage/creases, strings break and get stained etc. 

These problems often occur in vacant homes due to lack of ventilation, climate control, and regular inspections.

Regular and transparent chitchats are the way to go.

i am not looking to be spending my days on the lake, I am looking to replace my day job income, and growing my portfolio.... but it is important to cover my costs first, which not 20k/mo but, that is what i'm accustomed to regularly (or more). 

Having people who know the market and can help you manage the project or property is crucial to project success, especially if you can't be there regularly to handle things that will come up.