As for the PM issue as long as you screen really well and pay attention to basic maintenance 10-20 will be easier than your current 3x3 buildings provided you do not pick a dog for the 10-20!

You would basically need to remove the veneer and install the house wrap then re-brick.   

Is a half-circle drive in front doable?

Here are how the basic deal looks: Home Depot $ 16,000.00 Credit Card $ 12,000.00 Purchase $ 57,000.00 Rehab Labor $ 22,000.00 Contractor Fee $ 5,000.00 Carry Costs $ 5,200.00 Refi Closing Costs $ 2,000.00 Total $ 119,200.00   The house got appraised at $140K so the bank lent me $105.

The city building official said the city inspects for code compliance but not bad design -- hardly reassuring in light of the municipal fees that drive up home costs everywhere.

The worst experience I ever had was spending a month with a friend in Alpharetta GA in 12,000 sq ft with driving range pool media room  etc etc etc. 

Finding good contractors has always been difficult, its the hardest part of this business, and with new home builders working again they are sucking up a lot of the quality people and driving up prices.

It’s not as basic as running numbers in an existing home.

They both offer Inspector Due Diligence inspections as well, basically a toned down inspection that looks for specifically problematic/expensive items... but they don't necessarily test every outlet and switch.

There is some good info on this site about a series LLC, but a quick google search will explain the basic premise.