They have a rehab estimator that I haven't been able to find anything comparable to outside their "system" that allows you to estimate costs based on whether you're 1.) flipping in an upscale, medium, or lower scale neighborhood, or 2.) rehab/hold/renting.

- It seems the short-term goal of buying distressed multi-fam is to increase occupancy and the medium-term goal is to facilitate better management and fix it up in order to increase rent.

Don't mean to be harsh, but I would never talk about my wife like that in a public forum... even if it is a relatively anonymous medium. 

For appliances, do I need the latest and greatest or is there a happy medium? 

Job listings show steady and diverse demand for travel nurses in the region, and there are some other angles that might generate leads for furnished housing, including several small-medium light manufacturing employers within two miles of the property and a university in the neighboring city.Aside from the AirBnbs - most of which are larger - the other options in the city itself are 2-star extended stay motels at $100/night that are in poor condition. 

And, you may not wanna hear it, but there's a reason that those markets are still relatively cheap to begin with. for cash flow it doesn't make, for a medium and long term it makes sense, I don't remember in the history that price is a pullback to 5 years pricing except in 2008.

From the SSA.Gov website concerning SSI: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a Federal income supplement program funded by general tax revenues (not Social Security taxes): It is designed to help aged, blind, and disabled people, who have little or no income; and [img src="http://www.ssa.gov/ssi/images/ball71.gif" width="14" height="14" border="0" alt="blue ball"> It provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter.

My homeless non-profits bracket their tenants low(3-6 mo rent guaranteed) medium (6-12) and high (12+).

Also, these are both single family homes in very good areas in a medium sized town so the required management is minimal for the most part.

You would need to take the doors to a woodworker and see if he could make those same doors in a 12" width.