There are also some exceptions to convince the underwriters to use leases if there were major repairs for that house/unit proving that the schedule E numbers are not showing the full potential return, then you would be able to use the leases as an exception. 

Walking away from a property after significant investment is tough, but beware of the sunk cost fallacy.

@Nathan Frost  Ironically, I did the majority of my real estate investing in Texas while living in Metro Detroit, and you are doing somewhat the reverse.I didn't want to get too negative, but suffice to say the City of Detroit* is a very tough market. 

Plan was to do self storage; then found out the creek that sits a ways back flooded 5 years ago, not in a floodzone but all the locals know so self storage is a tough sell at this point. 

They proved to be a low risk, low cash requirement to get some traction. 

Land is very tough to estimate value do to it's valie is based on what you can do with it and how much demand there is for what ever is ultimately done with it. 

i agree with you on the tough environment there for purchasing / house hacking but I wouldn't give up on that regardless of what else you look into. house hacking = owning real estatewildly successful arbitrage = not owning any real estatecan you look in Frederick MD or Fredericksburg or Ashburn or an exurb? 

@Rita Medeiros For you to prove that the mice are as a result of anything she is doing since she moved in would be impossible.

Looks intentional but can't prove it. 

It is tough to crack, but it has so much potential.