@Chris ThomasInstead of "should I invest in cash flow" or "should I invest in appreciation", you should set your mentality to how do I make money in either situation?

Having lived in a basement myself, I can say with authority that there is a negative mental / emotional impact living in a basement unit vs an above grade unit.

REI is my side hustle but with our plan these investments will also be homes we live in part-time so he'll need to be invested mentally. 

for context, the person whose name is on the home is deteriorating in terms of mental health and originally bought the home for my family member to take primary residence in.

We are constantly traveling upstate NY for our mental breaks away from the city and honestly, we fall in love the more we visit.

If you are a wholesaler I would LOVE to chat and try to boost my understanding of the craft (I only just learned of the concept recently and am trying to get a firm grasp on the ins and outs before diving in).  

The sample motivated seller questionnaire (and explanation paragraphs) on this page will equip you to avoid this common newbie mistake.If you're new to wholesaling or creative real estate investing, you can save yourself a whole lot of mental and financial anguish by asking a series of two or three questions to help you decide whether to deal with a property seller or not.The information you gather from a well crafted motivated seller questionnaire can also help you determine whether the property in question is worth investigating further, regardless of what you find about the urgency of the seller's situation.The section below will take you through a shortened sample form and discuss each section in detail.Contact Information Full NameHome PhoneWork Phone (maybe fax also)AddressSpouse Name (if any)Email AddressProperty Address (For Sale)How did you find us?

I would consider the amount you need for repairs and emergency expenses to be mentally separate from the amount you are holding onto for discretionary renovations or buying opportunities, even if you hold the actual cash in the same account.To add to what has been said about estimating the non-discretionary reserves, I would determine how much the "biggest ticket" items might cost you to get the idea.

The income from the coin laundry should offset my lawncare, trash, and water charges, and also justify a rent boost, over time, with existing and future tenants.

And it could help boost your content creation platform!!!