Trouble doing business with people who are willing to break the law when it's to their advantage....is that you never know when it will be to your disadvantage.To be clear, bandit signs are not a gray area.

You literally stick to the kitchen floor as you walk and it has a serious odor of stale beer and body odor.

Try to avoid companies or individuals that have an introductory conversation then "throw you over the fence" to a local rehaber or property manager to "seal the deal".it has been my experience over the last 11 years investing out of state that systems and procedures are critical and having a great team on the ground will help make or break your success. 

Breaking the chain of TI can be an issue for future owners obtaining their title coverage, your period of ownership may be excluded.

However it's those HOA fees that will either make or break that cash flow. 

I think with family the main goal should be to not lose money, so be prepared to "waste" your time if the deal is a break-even deal. 

Also, I Suggest you break your post down into smaller paragraphs for easy digestion.  

Most brokerages give the agents a break on fees for their own deals if they don't take a commission on the deal.

Yes, higher rent yields can make or break the deal.

In that situation the goal is to try to get enough money to offset upcoming leasing commissions for that unit and expected TI's so you are at break even with the new tenant.