I'd wager that you might be able to get good returns out of there, but on the other hand, I'd be careful of any rent control laws that might kill your return.

The water company sends a shut off notice if the tenants don’t pay, that usually takes care of it

I'm not trying to insult you but if you make 1/2 the average income of an American employee then I would say you lack the skills, life experience, or capital to take on investing. 

Tread carefully and make sure you follow the proper timeline for notifications.

Also, tenants never care for things in a rental...so your new cabinets will soon have lots of wear and tear on them and you're back to square one.  

Take careful consideration of "who" and "how" as you move forward. 

Mini accountant rant...If the difference between acceptable NOI and unacceptable NOI is the cost of lawn care, the investor isn't an investor.

As far as the water heater I would get in contact with my handyman who is more than capable of taking care of that issue, just frees up my time more not that I have a lot of free time either.

@Lu Chen Careful picking a market!

If they’re extremely motivated they probably won’t care what you are as long as you can help solve their problem.