I think you should work on all open/active accounts before any collections and of course back taxes first.

We have a regular checking account which is only used to collect rent and to pay for repairs at the rental.

But it's my biggest headache, turned each apartment over .. both are currently occupied.. 2016 just worked collected rent, paid off some debt, while still trying to save... 2017 hey I'm never going to get rich in real estate if I dont make moves right..

Keep collecting rent?

This site is a great resource. 

If you utilize seller financing, you can sometimes get the seller on board because they get their sales price and you get favorable loan terms2)  They don't need the cash right now (retiree, empty nester) and are financially astute enough to see how collecting interest for 5-10 years on their note can be very profitable.Which argument works completely depends on what the seller needs.   

But make sure you aren’t collecting much past name, email and phone.

If you want to contact me and give me some information on the property I would be happy to use my resources and find out what i can on the property. 

Congrats on discovering the power of investment real estate and the amazing resources at Bigger Pockets!

So if an individual is ( FISHING ) as I call it then it's a waste of time for me.If I have clients totally committed to me then it makes sense to deploy resources and time.