After *all* expenses, ROI on rent is 3.5% - this excludes any appreciation.A week later, I saw the SAME unit as mine, in the same complex - it was advertised for $50 more monthly rent than mine, so I feel secure in my rental rate being at market. 

Mine was prime plus one percent for a regular loan and amortizated over a longer period for a homePurchase.

Originally built as a hotel in 1918 to house the labor force of The Little Daisy mine in Jerome.

Hi David,If it were mine, I'd call a local Sherwin-Williams store (as close to the beach as possible) and ask them what they think.Ask them if different brands of their paint perform differently in your environment/climate.Then ask them if that's just a guess or if they have a lot of customers in the time range.Keep in mind this will be for decent paint, not cheapy off brand stuff.Also, being a little more specific with the store people might help, because in some beach neighborhoods it's acceptable to let the homes go to very chalky and even peeling before painting, and in some they need to look new all the time or you will be odd man out with the dumpy house.If you are in a some sort of "Community" with a board, or rules, they might dictate how often you must repaint.Good Luck!

Keep at it, save as much as you can, and protect your credit like a pot of gold and you will be there before you know it. 

I've noticed some weird rental market trends, and I wanted to compare notes to see if your experience is the same as mine. 

Real estate is a true passion of mine and something I could see myself doing for forever.

Therefore water/energy efficiency is of the tenant's concern and not mine, in addition to the condition of fixtures within the suite. 

Mine would.say if less than 500 worth of stuff (yard sale proces) then I can the property back.My next trick if needed is to call code enforcement and have them put up a 24 hour notice to vacate as property is not habitable without utilities. 

Granted a lot those properties are ~1200 sq ft/unit while mine are smaller at 800-900 and not quite as nice, but rental wise they can probably cap out at maybe $100/month than I am renting mine for.Lessons learned?