A name search says that possibly the old owner passed and this appears to maybe have been a rental property leading up to that in my eye.

@Lynnette E. Yes

Everything with the stair itself looks fine and good catch on the thicker treads.

What I see as the down side is the Loan will still show up on your DTI, granted the income from rent will offset it I would just check to see if the 2100 would be enough to offset in the eyes of a lender so you don't lock your self into a no house but mortgage situation without the ability to get financing.

It was a fire damaged, hoarder house when we first laid eyes on it.

I will certainly keep my eyes on it.

Your unit is much more likely to catch fire from smoking, cooking, candles, or an electrical short.Exclude smokers.

You could also keep an eye out for a large heated garage and maybe convert part of that to an office space. 

There is a home I have my eye on.

I've never had someone else provide adequate oversight of a contractor for us, just act as our eyes on the ground so we can oversee it.If you clearly set expectations for your property manager and they are falling short, it sounds like you need to make a change.