I plan on adding a paved patio to our home, which would count as a capital improvement.

This could be a fake narrative, it could be they got lucky or inherited a bunch of money to get started, it could be the market was just right, maybe they have a superior personality/brain and can achieve things ordinary folks can't, etc.

Yes patio amenities affect buyer choices.

We are totally in the same space as you with one of our new properties...we did what we could with reno & decor to go live and we have a wish list of other things as we start getting bookings/revenue :) Down the road I could see making your back patio space more private.

I net the sameSo when I buy and want to use my license or even if I am not licensed in that state I do the exact same thing I tell the listing agent I need NO representation and I want a discount  this is where @Steve Vaughan was alluding to.. you dont want a commission per se its taxable as ordinary income you just want a credit.. your basis will be a little lower but it gets you to the same place..

Does the depreciation loss for those properties count against long term capital gains or does it only count against ordinary income/short term gains? 

Nothing out of the ordinary for the commission to not be a 50/50 split, and at least here in Maryland 3.5/2.5 is very common.

My lease states the tenant is responsible for "ordinary" pest control which would include a fly, sugar ants, spiders, the occasional snake or mouse, and even a squirrel that manages to get into the attic space.

Big taxes because flips (where your intent is primarily to resell) are taxed as ordinary income. 

Most long term parks require tenants to fully skirt their RV (so look for skirted units) and most tenants who really are staying long term will build an addition, deck or patio, install a storage shed, create a garden, and show other evidence that they have made this their permanent home.With that established, you can underwrite an RV park similar to a mobile home park if the above description of long term tenants is present at the park.