It might also be unavoidable to live in a high cost of living area due to my career choices. 

You do not own the building, so no choice but to have the inspection. 

Alternatively you can do the LOC (line of credit) on it so you can retain the home but are definitely subject to today's current rate environment.

That said, it could be a good choice if you’re capital constrained and need to recycle equity from deal to deal.However, if you have capital to deploy and want to take a more hands-off approach, targeting a turnkey, rent-ready offering could be a better approach for your first deal.Full disclosure: I own rentals and operate a turnkey provider in Tuscaloosa—let me know if there are any questions I can answer for you!

You can do whatever you want in terms of bending for the tenants and trying to provide "great service,' but the truth is you receive no credit for it and will be the evil landlord at the first repair that takes too long, late fee owed, alternation denied, etc.  

I even have a cousin who is homeless - by choice (?!??).

Not when there are so many alternative methods of engagement towards resolve of which past clients have appreciated.

The other alternative is to raise capital and be more of a fee developer, at least at the start.

Does anybody have any advice on alternatives to resolve or get this fixed before I go all out & call a plumber.

Alternatively, there are high-yield online savings accounts like Marcus or others - the difference is that banks have some inherent risk, thus the FDIC insurance.