We did get much lower costs when we changed to minisplits but the initial cost is high.

I've tried the lower 6-7% PMs and usually you'll either pay mark ups on repairs (what you've noted) or pay extra fees (i.e. labor hours, extra calls) that you may or may not notice. 

aim for a good house, not a cheap house as it will attract lower quality tenants and cost you more in the long run.

A smaller valuation would mean less out of pocket to buy out your siblings and lower taxes, but it would also mean the lot rent is a much higher % of valuation.I can almost guarantee you can find properties in Grand Rapids that cashflow because I've found them all over the Midwest. 

The advantage, is that the buyer can wind up with a lower interest rate and instead of a 30 year loan, they have only the remaining number of years the original borrower hasn't yet paid down.3.

when I used a capital gains calculator online, if I put zero money down and put the 2 loans, the cap gains is a lot lower than if I just recorded 1 loan and entered the money from the downpayment loan under cash.

The estate agent tells me that banks normally undervalue their valuations and that it is great that the valuation is so high (while still being lower than the asking price!)

And yes, we’re focused on value-add and lower occupancy communities.

We were not interested in the initial asking price, but countered with a much lower price.

15 year fixed mortgages are very underrated a 200bps spread is enticing as well as lower transaction costs.