forced appreciation is an artificial increase in value realized when the property is sold; there are a number of things you can do to improve the property,  new appliances and services for tenants,  obtain an upgraded appraisal, increase rents, upgrade tenants, and coin service laundry machines. 

As far as the creative financing, I am taking about 6 months to a year to get educated on creative financing and figure how this RE machine works.

If upgrading showerheads, toilets, faucets, and/or washing machines would cost you $1000, but save you $15/month over the next 20 years, I'd say it's worth it

I was going to be the vending machine king, apartment complex baron, t-shirt vendor...

If you don't want them putting it in your mailbox, they can put it under the mat, or put a rent box/slot on your door that puts the rent safely inside your house.Honestly I don't get it.Almost all of my tenants pay electronically, but I do still have 1 or 2 that bring me checks. 

I stayed at a competitor's unit where they asked me to put sheets in the washing machine, start the cycle and do a bunch of other pre-check out clean up.

One of the recent 'touches' we are going to add since we have the equipment at our 'day job' is to laminate the front and back covers and use a binding machine (total cost about $150 for them) instead of just stapling things. 

I’m looking at hooking up a washing machine in my house.

@Ashish Acharya, you are a machine! 

This plus the fact that the building is in a rather poor state leads me to believe that the revenue from the HOA fees and coined operated laundry machines may be going in someone's pocket rather than in maintaining the building.