If you’re free later this month I’d love to pick your brain about it over coffee, or over the phone,  if your schedule allows. 

Explain to her that it is her problem to cut the grass plain and simple .  

Actually, your question is fairly simple. 

This would be my first investment property and, as I crunch the numbers, believe this could be a worthwhile investment and relatively simple way to start my REI career.I have a few questions for those that manage properties and would appreciate your feedback.- What is the most comprehensive/reliable, but cost effective, way to screen tenants?

Pick their brains, be a sponge, and soak up the information.

I would reccomend picking it up so you can review the content before you take it again! 

Pick a niche, learn enough to be confident to move foward, make moves.

Pick one or two of the things you listed in your post and take concrete steps towards those goals, and write them down somewhere, this will help. 

If you have a standard oil fired boiler for the current radiant, it's pretty simple to convert to gas.

For every key invented, there is a lock pick.