Just to supplement their commission earnings for slow months or something like that.

Definitely  a higher earning base and appreciation potential. 

*Selling your home and then renting is a serious step and make sure you take into account all of the closing costs, possible seller concessions, and realtor commissions when factoring how much profit you would stand to earn in such a transaction.

Brandon, if it were me I would keep the rentals separate from the other entities because rental income/expense is treated differently for tax purposes (schedule E).The other businesses are all "earned income" type of businesses so in theory for tax purposes could be combined, but I would keep construction as its own entity because it's really its own kind of business with its own kind of risks.I would probably put the property management under the real estate brokerage, both for the sake of simplicity and also the fact that if you want to manage properties for others (which might technically include you due to entity structure) you need a real estate license in RI anyway.

Once you acquire a couple properties and get some experience as a landlord (often banks require two years), up to 75 percent of that rental income can be counted toward your earnings.

Example; "I want to mainly earn high rates of interest on liens that pay off in a year or less."

When you solve major problems with a house you should expect to earn major profits.

I'm hoping to be able to either get a cash withdraw refinance or a HELOC so I can buy another building, but I have crappy DTI ratio if all my improvements are held against me.I just spent ~70k in improvements for my 4-plex that I live in.Based on my professional earned income and 75% of the rental value, it looks like I can qualify for a loan to refinance the place if I spent nothing on improving the property this last year.  

So you can use this trick OR the "shove all debt possible into the low-wage-earning spouse's name so one spouse's pre-mortgage DTI is 75% but the other one is at 8%," but not both.Make sure your lender is drilling down with you on your post-batch-refi DTI will be and giving you an idea of what you and your wife's purchasing power will be after the fact.

The property has functioned and will continue to function as a rental "as is" assuming you are not being forced to do any work.If it is not required you are placing your personal feelings/opinions ahead of smart business decisions.The business formula is buy, do only necessary repairs, upgrade only to increase rent, place tenant, earn money.