Then I painted the whole unit and replaced all flooring, including the renovation, with two more.

My vacancy was 2 weeks, but that is really only because i needed to get the house painted and new carpet installed. 

Learn how to repair, paint, landscape.

New paint, flooring, etc. 7 months.

Let me paint you a picture:Ivan Galamian is generally thought of as the greatest violin teacher who ever lived.

Are these C/D class properties that were treated poorly, and paying above-retail contractor rates to paint & fix holes? 

Most of the guys also have a min starting repair budget that adjusts based on their findings, but they assume off the top that the house will need a new roof, new windows, paint (inside and out), several thousands in landscaping,  and appliances. 

That's not how investing works.There will be bumps along the way, so plan for them and they won't be so surprising.There are many investors using myriad strategies, you could spend you entire life learning REI, or painting, or you could just grab a brush and start. 

And for bigger jobs, we contract with local people (re-staining a cabin, painting, plumbing).

However it will need a new roof, landscaping,stucco work and paint job.