If a new tenant is coming in to replace the one leaving, have them apply as well, and write up a tenant replacement addendum, charging a fee to the tenants to have you do this for them.  

Unfortunately I don’t think I can charge enough rent for it to cash flow.

Her half would go to her heirs and yours would go to you.Possibly put it in a trust and you could be joint administrators of the trust....best bet is to probably consult a real estate attorney in your area.

On the same project I've received quotes that were over 150% higher than what my current installer charges.

Wondering if any local investors use a Quickbooks certified advisor that doesn't charge an arm and a leg? 

As a small scale investor, I would argue the safest bet for the Mom & Pop investors like us is the standard single family rental property.

You should ask for a copy of the vendor's invoice so you can see if the charge is legitimate.  

That’s often easier said then done but that’s gonna be your best bet.

However I fail to see how this is true at the scale at which I would be capable of buying...in my price range the properties would not be large enough to merit their own on-site Management, unless maybe I just bought one and bet my entire future on it.

He might be a little higher than a Bank would charge in interest but I would consider Owner Financing is near the top of a good way to go.