If you use the 203k loan you do.If you get a conventional loan with low downpayment they will also typically require you to live in the home for 1 year unless you get a 20% down non-occupant loan.If you break out an FHA vs. a conventional owner-occupied loan they amount to close to the same thing.

Take the clean up and damages from the security deposit.

A house owned for cash may under produce but it will almost never non-produce.But in order to completely avoid taxes on the boot in your 1031 why not purchase a second property as part of the 1031 using leverage. 

They aren’t keeping it very clean either and have complained of cockroaches.

These are small, non-warrantable studio condos, so no financing out there really.

You can get a loan on a non owner occupied property (1-4 units) that will have a fixed interest rate in the 4%-5% range right now.

Normally, online advertising has been all we needed to get the word out (to non-seniors) but I'm getting a lower than normal volume of calls. 

Then start working , clean up when done .

The additional time it would take to self manage a 4 unit portfolio over a 2 unit portfolio is non consequential.

I use to own a housekeeping business and the move out cleanings were insane.