Cleanliness is something not to be understated and you should have all safety equipment (smoke/carbon monoxide alarms, security system) in working order.Tagging onto cleanliness, having a clean front and back yards that are pest free is something you should work on as well.Keep an eye for leaky faucets, broken outlet wall plates, squeaky floors or hinges, running toilets or other little things that can be easily fixed, but may catch the eye of the appraiser in a negative way.As you already mentioned, the before pictures, scope of work, and comps help a great deal and are some of the main things to include.

. $20k for electrical and $10k for HVAC (Assuming the existing equipment is usable)So is $30k worth it to you to get this house?

The equipment was left back there.

That way, you'll be better equipped when you're ready to pull the trigger.

I'm a former Iowan myself from the little town of Clarion and also a transportation person, still do some brokering but sold my equipment a few years back.

On the other hand, that can all be lifted given he and his wife are equipped with a good PM to do the job.But yeah, I wasn't trying to say that each vacancy would be more costly as the "slices" of the pie are much thinner the more units you have.

Take all of the appliances, the kitchen, the bathroom vanities, pool screen cage (my property does not have a pool) pool equipment, a/c, hot water heater, blinds, flooring, ceiling fans, ceiling lights, etc, etc.If they don't agree to pay you $5,000 to leave, take or sell everything in the house including the entire kitchen.  

Even if you're not ready to buy quite yet, you'll be better equipped to spot a good deal vs bad deal when the time comes.

See active participation checksheet at end of chapter.Sub-Issues The activity must consist of rental real estate (not an equipment lease).The taxpayer must have “actively participated” in the rental.The MAGI must be less than $100,000 in order to obtain the full $25,000 benefit.Active Participation Sub-IssueAs long as a taxpayer participates in management decisions in a bona fide sense, he actively participated in the real estate rental activity.

I was thinking that they would supply the other lawn equipment.