Major Electric and plumbing just seems like something wherein a person could turn a $100 job into a $1,000 job.

The reason it's attractive to do now is that there are some reasonable unsecured home improvement loan products from the MN CEE (Center for Energy and Environment) that I can use to finance the adds since we currently owner-occupy the property.

They would by a small property for cash (or a fractional ownership in a debt free 1031 compliant product). 

My rentals are inland in Columbia, SC, area, but anytime there is a major weather event I send reminder emails to my tenants.   

They usually have products like that. 

The exception to this case would be some of the production builder floor plans that include an efficiency with "private" back door access on the bottom floor or a garage apartment as part of the new construction.I found some older duplexes farther towards West U area but the cost was way high in relation to the disrepair of the property due to land value.

Cleaning is a tenant responsibility and the vast majority of them can handle it fine.

Their products were great and could have worked in many of our current deals.   

Not alot of time to pay down the principle I know but I have also done major renovations in that time.

Is it by a major river that floods often (i.e., spring flooding of the Mississippi river can be and has been devastating to anything in it's path)?