I think this is a classic example of the need to balance the rights of property owners with the common good.  

Another classic failure to look at trade offs and instead focus on a pathos argument: "look at what this one person did to get around the system, the rule is terrible and we need to get rid of it".

Hello, I am a complete newb to real estate outside of investing in classical REITs. 1: Located in the Boston Area2: Investing goals: Cash flow, looking to invest in residential property to start within daily driving distance from Boston.3: Fun fact..... the photo is old.

its a classic and there are others that build on it.   

So it's a classic optimization problem, you have to find your sweet spot.I used to be all about cash flow when I got started and over the years it became less important, while the potential for appreciation has become more important for me.

I highly recommend you read Howard Marks’s classic Mastering the Market Cycle.  

This is a classic that's very talked about a lot on BiggerPockets: adding bedrooms and find the best use for any property.

As long as it is a classic style, it should add value.

The downstairs’ kitchen needed new flooring and we had to redo everything in the bathroom besides the floor (has a classic, multicolored penny tile that was rebuffed and looks great).

The downstairs’ kitchen needed new flooring and we had to redo everything in the bathroom besides the floor (has a classic, multicolored penny tile that was rebuffed and looks great).