And what are all the items included in the operating costs?

Air filters not being changed in years could burn out the motors faster as dust accumulates internally and in the vents themselves running to the air systems.You can also see in that time how the tenant is taking care of the property on an ongoing basis and any maintenance items needed that could cause potential hazards at your property.

Granted, I agree these types of items may not be critical to the safety and structural integrity of the property, but still.

These are big ticket item that effect the price. 

Items such as a towable trailer, car, van, laptops etc were still left at the property.

(See #'s 1 - 3 above).5a - If bought correctly, the REI can quickly recover ALL of the cost of that investment...and still remain in control of that investment...and still receive liquid (cash flow) returns from that same investment.5b - If bought correctly, the cost of the REI can be recovered quickly thus making all net returns from that point forward 100% profit.5c - If bought correctly, you can use the same money over and over again to control of an infinite number of REI.6 - RE CAN be purchased using "free" money...over and over again...and these are just some of the additional items most of these articles never mention.

It has been 4months since I’ve provided her with a forwarding address per email and I have yet to receive my security deposit or itemized documentation.

Appears recent federal tax code changed the deductible items I can take on the refinance of my personal residence, i.e., looks like points are no longer fully deductible.

However, besides moving some of my bigger items out of here and into a storage unit near by, renting it as a single family would be much faster and cheaper right now.As I'm typing this, I feel it's really more of a personal decision. 

You should consult your CPA since I do not know what your current itemized deductions are and how the debt will affect one rental deduction and the purchase of the second with the debt of the first loan.