Payed an arm and a leg in taxes this year (I know not a bad problem to have) and want to reduce the cost next year.

I would do a google search va loan with bad credit and see what comes up.

His HELOC rate of Prime +1% isn’t a bad rate at all when it’s on a rental property.

@Caleb Heimsoth  as Bob noted, there are people who will paint for $175/day but availability might be a big issue and it also depends on what quality you're looking for (e g does it matter to you that the old paint bleeds thru in a couple of spots)if you figure around $1.05-$1.10/sq ft (of wall space, not just floor space) that will put you on the low end of retail, will give you a decent quality job but won't include wall repair or baseboards/trimdry locking the basement should be around the same price but that stuff has a pretty overwhelming odor so you might get contractors saying they either don't do it or want a premium....get yourself a quart and open it up if you don't know what I mean....I've got a painter and other contractor referrals.....most will work anywhere on the west side. 

Learning how to analyze potential deals that you come across now will give you the ability to know a good deal from a bad one when you're ready to buy. 

Maybe it sounds bad, I don't know, but my goal with investing is not to spend all day "pounding" the phone calling, but rather to develop a steady source of passive income so I can do what I enjoy such as playing golf with buddies on a Wednesday.

Bad news.

A 64% return over 5 years isn't bad.

They could also sue you for "specific performance" and try to convince a judge to force you to buy the house but that option is rarely used and typically only when one party has been really bad.

I would like to report to credit agent, the government or other organizations this bad tenant.