I know this is where a lot of people give up and I don't want to be that statistic, even if I fail.  

I also think you could provide value relatively easy to justify raising rent - whether it's through nicer landscaping, additional parking, improving common areas if you have them, or other on-site incentives.

We also plan to refurb the upstairs bathroom and kitchen, as well as replace the siding and improve the landscaping of the 3100 sqft lot.QuestionsI am now looking for a way to finance the refurb.

Monthly Income Monthly Expenses:UtilitiesRepairs (any thing over $2,500 include details for what it is, it may need to be capitalized) Mortgage interestReal estate taxInsurance Vehicle Expense (Mileage is mostly the best method, track it in a log for trips to the rental or to meet with tenants ect) Meals and entertainment (if you have coffees while interviewing potential renters ect) Dues and subscriptions - If you pay a monthly fee to a neighborhood watch type of thingEducational expense- If you purchase a landlording book from BP or attend a seminar Landscaping costs Pest control fees Marketing expenses 

You need to calculate the utilities to light and heat the hallway, landscaping, snow removal if you have sidewalks and parking lots.  

it's a basement, he's talking about a ceiling. not the walls. not landscape. the ceiling.here's what i do - for buy and hold - we do NOT. i did it once, noone cared and noone noticed. it was a waste of black paint and labor. i'd do it in my house, but not a buy and hold. never again.if you ever run a wire/duct or anything else in those joists, u will have to get that can of spray paint and spray it.for a flip - unless they are 14' tall ceilings, no, i will not do it.you said it's a <1k sq ft house. do you really think they'll care?

The house is in decent condition, it was a hoarders house and mostly just needs a lot of cleaning, paint and landscaping and an electrical box.The margins aren't wide enough for me to offer him any more than 90k but I was thinking of suggesting a creative solution such as the following.

She even did some landscaping.

Please remember to calculate all the expenses, including Tax, Insurance, Vacancy, Maintenance, CapExp, Prop Management, Any Utilities, Landscaping, Trash, etc. when analyzing if the property is profitable.  

Further you will need landscaping addressed if your not in an association with HOA fees, heat/AC service, snow removal.