We don’t know any PMCs to recommend in the area mentioned, but since selecting the wrong PMC is usually more harmful than selecting a bad tenant, you might want to read our series about “How to Screen a PMC Better than a Tenant”:https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91877-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-1-services-and-processesEven if someone give you a referral, don’t make the mistake of assuming the PMC will meet your expectations, just because they met the expectations of the referral source.We recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.

House was unfinanceable because of its condition, so my dad helped us pay cash, and my husband spent the summer getting it habitable for us to move into six months after purchase.

If you have recently sold homes that are habitable I would use those. 

There is no harm in calling a bank to see if you qualify for a mortgage based on the information that you provide to them.If a bank says they will not finance you, call atleast 10 more banks before giving up.Good luck!

We don’t know any PMCs to recommend in the area mentioned, but since selecting the wrong PMC is usually more harmful than selecting a bad tenant, you might want to read our series about “How to Screen a PMC Better than a Tenant”:https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91877-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-1-services-and-processesWe recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.

I have an apt bldg. challenge and looking for opinions from others, here is the scenario1) Back of property (6 unit multi) usually gets hit with neighborhood trash dumpers (mattresses, couches) once or twice a year, costing me between $500-$1000/yr in cleanup fees2) Primary goal, reduce maintenance costs.3) Secondary goal, improve the general look for the neighborhood4) I could spend thousands and still get hit b/c the neighborhood has built the habit of hitting my property over the years.Question: Would you build something up here in hopes of reducing the likelihood of dumping, or just keep cap cost down and hope for the best?

As a life long New Yorker till now, I get to say that :)That said, Saugerties is a lot better on all these fronts than say, Westchester, or some of the even more developed upper Hudson valley towns where home prices are completely divorced from rents, and only speculation (or habitation for your own personal enjoyment) is possible as a strategy.If you're talking about investing, rather than speculating however, the game around that general region seems to be buying rental units in C or D properties in C or D neighborhoods and finding renters who can pay modest rates based on welfare payments.That's not something we wanted to get involved in personally.

So if you can come in to a neighborhood and rehab housing to make it more habitable, efficient, and modern, and do it well, that seems a win/win.

You have to keep the property in good condition - habitable, no pests, water leaks, mold, cracks, holes, etc.

I am guessing your spending habits are keeping you from getting into investing success and REI, not sure how liquidating a 401k and paying the penalties is a goong to be a benefit .