I know that will take some time to do, but in my opinion, starting from a solid financial foundations will prevent your investing from becoming a nightmare.

@Denise EvansGetting the yardwork done to prevent the city from assessing a Weed lien is considered preservation?

For fireflow you need to upsize that which means a utilty company to upsize from the main in the street to the meter, getting a plumber to install a meter and a backflow preventer along with a branch stub for a sprinkler company. 

Even though it is hard to do, do you try to implement some type of routine?

Cosmetic needs are acceptable but structural and safety hazards will prevent a bank lending.

That and having stressful full time jobs have prevented us from fully looking at the situation, however, this has now my complete and full attention.The down payment shown is not the original down payment, it's how it stands now, I wanted to show the current loan balance and equity somehow.

That and having stressful full time jobs have prevented us from fully looking at the situation, however, this has now my complete and full attention. 

Generally though, I break it down into the "five pillars" of protecting your assets.The first pillar is avoiding unnecessary and risky activities (don't drink and drive, insurance generally won’t cover your poor decisions) and take good care of your investments(maintain your property, etc) - these simple steps will help you prevent lawsuits before they even occur.

I was more just looking to see how successful or not successful people have been implementing it.

Additionally installing the above pipe will not prevent water from dropping down through the deck.