Also it would be interesting to control for attributes such as 1) condo vs. fee simple and 2) modest vs. midrange vs. high priced homes.

Specifically regarding plumbing you could add (depending on your State or Local Laws) "... unless determined by repair person that such blockage occurred during the time Tenant controlled the Premises and due to some fault or negligence of Tenant, specifically excluding blockages caused by roots or backups from the street..."

At the early stages, the more control you have over your real estate, the better returns thus I recommend investing locally to make your dollar go that much farther and gain a good familarity with real estate before exploring out of state investing.

I have a duplex with one meter and I use a Sense (https://sense.com/) device to monitor the total KWH that the upstairs unit is using I then take the electric bill and split the bill up based on the amount of power drawn by the upstairs unit vs the total usage.

@Adriana V Alvarado you'll learn more and have better control over a local house-hack versus an OOS rental.Just be careful of the tenant-friendly climate in California.

How you buy/control them are.All deals are made up of two things: 1 - Cost to the buyer/REI (this is ONLY the cash they put in).2 - Terms of the deal. 

Columbus has ranked on the top 10 markets that outline that for the past 6 months at least. the best place to buy new builds is in higher priceopint markets but where the costs haven't gotten out of control. besides that I'd recommend working with a vertically integrated land development, real estate development, and new construction firm or design build firm who also understands market conditions. 

You would maintain management control while giving them a return on their investment.Is $6k-$7k Cash Flow Enough to Attract a New Partner?

Good idea on the Trust as that will avoid probate (required even if there is a will) and your father can control who gets what via the Trust.Your challenge is what happens if you do all the work to turn the portfolio around and then your father sells it, gives you less than you think you deserve or leaves it to someone else?

I had no trouble getting it under control and I got a nice deal in the process.