Spending on expensive upgrades is not the answer to improve your tenant base in this type of area.Keep the homes habitable, clean, and safe. 

Don't be so quick to indebt your paid off townhome until your learn creative financing and review all your options.

It stops nonsense before it starts and keeps your property safe (and your sanity intact).Hard on Paper, Soft in PracticeMy lease was stricter than a middle-school dress code: no overnight guests, no smoking anywhere, and quiet hours that would make a library blush.

During this last cycle it’s been a game of musical chairs, sponsors have been able to raise rents and flip deals quickly to the next buyer because of an insatiable demand and an abundance of capital.

You learn what you can as quickly as possible, and start implementing.

But they are falling behind quickly and encountering more and more challenges ie Crime. phila2035.org

My investors acquire with cash as a routine investment strategy to secure properties quickly and eliminate competing buyers using financing.

I should have clarified that what I meant was that there are PMs out there that will do the most expedient thing and accept a tenant just to receive a quick commission.  

If you can pay off the HELOC quickly, that is not bad way to go. 

I can however relatively quickly add up to a 500 Sqft garage.