I prefer to invest locally to where I live as it eliminates a lot of potential challenges and I know the market well.

A full-time security guard might help eliminate this, however, for a property of this size, that is simply cost prohibitive.I’m wondering if the market is just tough for everyone right now, if we’re looking in the wrong places, or if our criteria are too tight for tenants willing to live in this class C- neighborhood.Would love to discuss/brainstorm this in more detail with anyone who has experience filling class C units in this downtown Phoenix market.

And with you using one of the units as an office would not eliminate the fact that you are 'disqualified person'.

We have eliminated oil heat and electric baseboard heat because of their high cost of operation. 

You cannot simply eliminate a property right with the stroke of a pen and, as a retired judge, I'm sure Bissen knows this.

We renovated this tenant’s unit early in our ownership to try to eliminate some of the issues but unfortunately when someone is just a problem being helpful doesn’t seem to work.

You send it to your property manager.IRS Form W-8ECIIRS Form W-8ECI InstructionsBy filing Form W-8ECI foreign investors eliminate the mandatory 30% tax withholding as it notifies the property manager (and the IRS) the foreign investor will be filing annual tax returns to report their income and expenses related to the rental property.

Second goal: To eliminate 50% of my debt and purchase my first home.   

You're not eliminating interest since you're not paying it...the tenant is, or at least they are supposed to be through positive CF.Any and all money that comes out of your pocket is a cost to you. 

So I’ve decided to simplify.All the verbiage about amortization schedules, compound interest, eliminating your checking account, etc. is just window dressing made to confuse the issue and distract the “victim”.