He was great at rehabbing and he put a lot of work into his first investment but then it wasn't really taken care of..So my question is, since I haven't done this before lol...Any tips on getting decent stuff (long lasting really) without getting caught up in trying to pull off some HGTV moves..? 

If you value equity over cashflow (I personally agree with you btw), it should be super easy for ANY mortgage guy to make ANY decent rental property exactly cashflow neutral with exactly the shortest payoff period possible if you provide the parameters and ask.

Any exterior shots? 

With that said, it commands a decent rent for what you can get a property for.

I have a decent equity in my house so I am in the process of cash out refinance with NO closing cost.

Please consult an accountant)Selling now, I think your gain would be taxed at your personal income level.You would have to carry it for at least 6 months to get to a year and a day to have any shot at reducing taxes.

I have one property with decent equity with an apr of 5.8% and 7 years left on the loan.

Glamour shot of you smiling is going to look like you're a realtor, and I'd guess that it'll be more likely to be thrown out during that 0.5 seconds. 

I've tried several and ended up going out of State for a decent one...I'll PM you the info.

About four years ago I saw a nasty, old house on decent piece of land about 2 miles from my home in Salt Lake County, Utah.