If your finances / credit are a shambles and your current income isn't helping you sort it out,     then obviously you need to focus on gaining more income.Set your financial issues aside for now - they're not helping you - and learn to work around them.One of the biggest newbie mistakes is thinking that you need your own money and sterling credit to get into REI.While those certainly do help, if you don't have them, you need to find a different solution.Learn to attract and engage private lenders.Folks with large retirement accounts - medical people, attorneys, ... high-income professionals who may or may not be self-employed - need alternatives to the risks, whims and paltry ROI of Wall Street.

Driver around all the streets and look for vacant houses.

On the other hand, if your main service line from the street to the house is galvanized, and badly corroded, hardly anything you do in the house will make any difference. 

“Drug-related illegal activity” means the illegal manufacture, sale, distribution, purchase, USE, or possession with intent to manufacture, sell distribute, or USE of a controlled substance (as defined in Section 102 or the Controlled Substance Act (21 U.S.C. 8002) or possession of drug paraphernalia.2.Resident, any member of the resident’s household or guest or other person under the resident’s control shall not engage in any act intended to facilitate illegal activity, including drug-related illegal activity, on or near the said premises.3.Resident or members of the household will not permit the dwelling to be used for, or to facilitate illegal activity, including drug-related illegal activity, regardless of whether the individual engaging in such activity is a member of the household.4.Resident or members of the household will not engage in the manufacture, sale or distribution of illegal drugs at any locations, whether on or near the dwelling unit premises, or otherwise.5.Resident, any members of the resident’s household, or a guest or other person under the resident’s control shall not engage in acts of violence, or threats of violence, including but not limited to the unlawful discharge of firearms, prostitution, criminal street gang activity, intimidation, or any other breach of the housing agreement that the other wise jeopardizes the health safety or welfare of the landlord, his agents, or tenants.6.VIOLATION OF THE ABOVE PROVISIONS SHALL BE A MATERIAL VIOLATION OF THE HOUSING AGREEMENT AND GOOD CAUSE FOR TEMINATION OF TENANCY.

The redevelopment of the land into what is now Atlantic Station was financed largely by private investment, but was heavily supplemented by a special tax district to pay for city tax bonds for public utilities (streets, sidewalks, and sewers).

In my market a home one street over may be worth $300k and the next street the same home because its a busy street or there is on street parking or the rest of the homes are not as nice will be only worth $200k.

The houses are on a dead end street with an alley behind them, and there was a pretty sizable homeless camp set up back there, mostly because there were some empty lots owned by the city and not much traffic.

I would be very careful with properties between the main street and IBS bridges.

Upgraded windows are visible from the street and it might generate more interest from potential tenants.

I also own a three-unit apartment building directly across the street.