And to be fair i think it works in the low value asset world as these properties basically were trading at the values of automobiles..

If you ended up in a property that has low grade materials, you can replace stuff more frequently than expected meaning higher costs than if you had done it yourself.

They both are low income and have a hard time making ends meet (paying me).

We have homes over here in rental condition and occupied for as low as the $30,000 range!   

There is always a way to find the "low hanging fruit" you just need to know where to look and work with the right people!

Additionally, you do not look very good in court, when a tenant claims they do most of the maintenance beyond what I mentioned above; you may even find yourself owing the tenant for their time and labor. 

Well most likely build but aren’t opposed to buying (inventory is so low in our area however).  

we eventually refied after only 9 months with a significant noi increase through fannie becoming cash on cash plus a sizeable non taxable event along with 5 years i/o at a very low rate which allows for a healthy cash flow

If you find better ROI, the chances of appreciation, which is where real wealth and freedom happen, is very low. 

In fact, many many customers from Evolve and Vacasa are leaving and switching to companies like mine due to low bookings and other issues.