Easy to keep it to a comfortable temp.

And there are landlords who only care about maximizing profit and nothing else.

Depending on comfort and cash, it might be a viable option as you can build equity and then sell without having capital gains, assuming it's your primary residence and you've lived there for 2 years.

Jaron Walling said something that caught my attention, "search for and buy a bad roof, leverage it during the negotiation"....especially of the property has been sitting on the market longer than normal for the current market, a "bad roof" might be a gift from the real estate genie.My point is this: get good at estimating and fixing a bad roof (or any particular problem found with most houses that sit on the market longer) and you'll get comfortable buying/fixing properties that scare off other buyers. 

@Zach Denny - I agree - chances are the institutional lender won't be comfortable with an owner-financed 2nd and 100% combined loan to value.

Whether that's mobile home parks or any other kind of commercially valuated endeavor is a matter of personal comfort and preference.

When i was younger I used to help her with renovations on some of these properties.I asked her about 2 years ago why she never went multifamily and she said that she was afraid of stepping out of her comfort zone and wanted to stick with what she had known and done forever.

Lastly, keep an open line of communication with your manager so they feel comfortable bringing up concerns or bigger repairs.

To maximize the number of transactions you’re involved in you will need to:Be Top of Mind when they think about moving - which requires consistent reminders.Be seen as an Expert – which requires a consistent message and Evidence of Success storiesGain their Trust – which requires communicating integritySo, start out by listing everyone you know in an Excel spreadsheet.

Do you currently work with an expert CPA who is helping you maximize tax breaks with your real estate investments?