)The problem for us is that since we only manage approx 10 units which are fairly well-run and low maintenance, there simply isn't a lot of work to allocate.

Hopefully, with a big enough down payment the mortgate will be low enough for tenants to cover.

Lake County is landlord friendly and the property taxes are low there too!!

That certainly doesn’t mean that such a low target is a good idea.

Plus, like a foreclosure, DILs get reported on her credit report, though I understand they get treated less severely.The basic requirement of a DIL is that it has to be 100% completely voluntary.

The cost of living is extremely low compared to other cities and you can still many many positive cash flowing and 1% deals here.

Some rough numbers , Price $520K add 15K closing = $535k  New windows and siding $40K = $575k overgrown lot and landscaping $5k =$580K  Kitchen , bathrooms , paint , flooring $60k ( on the low end) New deck it was rotten  $20K They are now in at $660K  This doesnt include holding costs and what ever I missed .

I secured a low mortgage interest rate during COVID, and hoping experts in this forum could recommend VA Loan business strategies as I would like to convert our permanent home into rental property and transition into another home.1. 

The bookkeeping software is currently free of charge and connects to other banks / credit cards or you can choose to bank with them, which is what I'm doing. 

First, great job in bring proactive to get your credit up!