Either lower class property than advertised or lower cash flow than advertised or most likely both.Must better having fewer higher cost units that have better cash flow than many lower cost units with minimal cash flow.Good luck.

Her son seemed to confirm this (who seems to have no interest in helping her), and she's in danger of losing her home to tax foreclosure by the fall if she doesn't pay in full.

I personally have spent more than 25 years in the petrochemical industry and have had to wear fresh air respirators and full chemical suits in numerous pressure vessels and towers that have had toxic or inert atmospheres that were considered IDLH "Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health", and I still don't have the time nor the desire to worry about how someone's hair or lack thereof would impact whether or not I could work for or with them.

Unless the interior of the house is considered historical, they typically are only concerned with preserving the original exterior details of the house which can include everything from the porch to the roofline so additions and exterior changes can create a major delay or even totally disrupt your intended plan.For me there's fewer unknowns with an old property when I already plan to upgrade everything and am pleasantly surprised when something is in better condition than expected, as opposed to purchasing a cosmetic rehab with tight margins and then later finding out that the plumbing or electrical needs to be replaced or the foundation needs repair.The best thing about real estate is there is a niche for everyone's personality and experience.

The better condition the property is at move-in, the better the tenant will treat it and the fewer calls you will have.

In a lot of houses with 3 or fewer bedrooms, at least a couple of the bedrooms will probably have their outlets on the same circuit. 

The Solo 401k allows for more direct control, fewer components, fewer fees to various providers and a lot of other benefits that generally make it the better choice for those who are eligible.

Could be dangerous for them, but it's their money...I would imagine the ARV will be tigher at 60-65% rather than 70-75%, which is out there.

The danger is that one, and often all, of these things go wrong:Your selling price ends up lower than your ARV estimateYour rehab costs more than expectedYou end up holding longer than expected.These factors all take percentage points off your profit. 

It does have dangers associated with it.