First is as a form of forced savings (via principal payments, which increase in amoritized mortgages as the years go by).

It has been for me, where I was forced to open walls and dig up part of a finished basement for inspections.

Many seem to gravitate around $250K of equity per LLC.Also, properties that are higher risk may need to go into their own LLC to isolate them from other properties.

Many contractors NEVER learn how to do it correctly and spend a career in poverty because of it.GOOD investors, landlords, RE buyers, tend to 'get the jist' of basic (or even pretty advanced) estimating through force of experience (Renovate a dozen properties and you will get the idea or you'll go out of business).

So, if you put 20% down, prices fall by 10% and you're forced to sell, you'll walk away with nothing.

So, they're forced to sell.And other folks decide they're so far underwater that they just don't want to spend a fortune making payments.

The most forced appreciation will be on vacant and semi-performing value add deals ( an exception might be selling off to a developer as an exit for a higher use) but trying doing that from states away is a much bigger challenge than in your own back yard.Do you have time??

Its a forced savings account with a generous dividend yield.

Pretty sure its at least a year, unless you can show some reason that forced the move.

You can force appreciation by updating kitchens, baths, etc., if the numbers make sense and you can increase the rent but otherwise I would leave it alone.