My goal has been to borrow money for the rehab, rent it out to generate income for the Trust's beneficiaries, and then do a cash-out refi to recoup my down payment and any other out-of-pocket expenses.I believe there are limitations in an Irrevocable Trust, which would prevent me from simply deeding the property to myself or possibly even to an LLC if I create one, even if the end result is in pursuit of my fiduciary duties to the beneficiaries, as Trustee (i.e. making the home inhabitable and generating rental income for the beneficiaries).

My salary and credit scores have increased dramatically over the last 5 years and now I am saving up for a down payment.

For starters it is a good practice that any seller/lender on a wrap transaction set up all payments through a third-party Note Servicing company.

You could start saving and cutting your expenses aiming at arriving at that specific amount for a down payment on the day of purchase.

You'll want to be able to obtain balances, confirm payments were received, obtain payoff statements, etc.Ask your friend to share the username and password for the servicer's websiteI recommend using a loan servicer to collect your payments and disperse payments each month to the underlying mortgage servicer.

Previous Landlord:  Speaking with previous landlords can provide insights into the individuals rental history, payment habits, and overall behavior as a tenant. 

They will be facing a capital gains payment of around $110,000 (Ouch!).

Zillow and Apartments dot com but process payments for you I believe.  

Hi,I have been taking payment from tenants via venmo to my personal account. 

Start the eviction process as soon as she misses a payment.