If they are CF positive then they will not cohnt against your DTI but will improve it...that's standard conventional guidelines barring a few exceptions.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

My initial thoughts when it was mentioned, was to push him more to a standard multifamily investing strategy.

Did lenders reactivate HELOCs after the rates increased?

When you save up enough capital, slowly increase your portfolio.

With some changes to the management structure and leadership, I believe we can significantly increase the revenue potential while providing a positive impact.

You increase the likelihood that you continue to receive that $8,500 each month. 

@Robert Zajac pretty sure BRB charges less than an 8% management fee, so just as @Nathan Gesner states, they are making up for being below the "industry standards" by charging more elsewhere.BE CAREFUL about PMCs that claim they don't charge a markup on maintenance - TIME IS ALWAYS MONEY!

"Getting in" is easy; making money, managing the business, with the increased financial risk of commercial properties is a whole different game. 

If they don't, the document says their consequence is that they will automatically convert to a month-to-month rental on [DATE] with a 25% increase to their rent.