Replacing the front door may only bring a 53% return, but it can increase the curb appeal and attract more buyers, increasing the chances of selling.

because of new hosts managing from abroad not doing proper guest screening and having incredibly low prices that attract all sorts of people to their place.

students deserve nice places to live. we aren't trying to be slumlords but i do realize that students probably have slightly lower expectations than other types of tenants, so i feel we wont need to break the bank in the level of finishing details like we did on our own home but we will provide housing that is clean and safe and attractive. also thinking we can use some creative materials and methods to make the units party-proof. maybe we get lucky and find some long term professors or grad students and don't have to do annual turnover on every unit. even so, i budgeted 8% for property management after watching david greene's webinar yesterday.the heloc would allow for an easy down payment and a nice buffer for rehab, and i have 750+ credit score and good wage earning history, so i think a conventional loan should not be a problem to obtain. a cash out refi might be an option on the horizon if we decide to really crank a proper rehab but the units (from the pictures i saw) are livable as-is.should i be more specific here on the address/market to get better help?

The 'new' debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) based rental refinance loans were designed exactly for your plan.

Real Estate isn't always based on those elements, so the communication or attraction will have to be there.Perhaps, a podcast on success in business where you reach out to such individuals thereby learning there story and gaining traction with the avatar type.

It seems like the asking rents on renovated new rentals have gone up a lot, so we are wondering if it is worth doing renovations to try to attract a good tenant pool?

I prefer to stay with free platforms designed to collect rental payments.

It's designed by actual investors and reviewed to meet your state-specific laws.

The Line of Credit is tied to a zero balance sweep checking account, so the loan is really designed to assist you in paying down the balance, while retaining access to every dollar. 

Side by side duplexes tend to be more attractive to renters over the up and down style.