Updated fixtures, flooring, paint, a few windows, and general clean up inside / out.

I'd look for a value-add property that needs a bit of work/clean up (easier to afford at first, and then I build in equity with my construction skills when cleaning it up etc).Or just continue doing  side work at people's houses, and just look for the right residential property?

I have the money to pay it off in my savings but I dont want to deplete my savings an Im considering using that large amount to help purchase my first property house-hack style.

Your cushion of a security deposit gives you one month of leeway and of course you still have to consider cleanup of property before renting.

She was not able to pay for the damages and maintain the full security deposit, she was not going to keep her brother out, she had had talked about moving before - so she chose to move out.I asked her to clean up the unit per the lease and put all refuse in the dumpster. 

I really did help this couple sell their house and live the rest of their remaining years where they wanted to be and not worrying about how to clean up the mess at their house!

You might get lucky, but cleanup will be a little more than normal with college kids usually.  

It sounds like you just want a house you can buy at a discount, do some basic clean-up/ value add stuff and sell for a profit.

What all were you including in this (paint and general cleanup?)?

It's also an incestuous industry so there is a lot of sharing of data, abstracters, etc.Where things DO vary a lot is in how the providers clean up the data, present the data, and the business model by which they sell the data.