It's possible the deceased father agreed to let her manage the property and keep the rent net for her troubles, but the title/ownership remains in him so his heirs would inherit it as a legacy.I suggest your friend familiarize himself with the statute of frauds which I believe requires agreements regarding real estate be in writing to be enforceable.

@Louisa DavisGenerally, I find meetups are powerful for relative new comers to real estate.  

In choppy markets, being a hard money lender allows you to capitalize on opportunities without directly owning and managing properties.

If so, how did you learn to manage your rentals well?

So, we assumed you meant builds relative to the size that he was asking about.

I do, a good buddy owns and manages a few @Lucas Piper

If you manage properties, what do you typically see? 

Not good.Having said that, we at times will install a property management company into a client's world so they can defer into an IRA or 401k by creating the necessary earned income.

In my opinion, it is the BEST strategy for first timers - you get the buying experience, the property management experience, and you get to start building equity right away (especially if you live in Denver).

Howdy @Chris Wilson I too am a buy and hold guy here in okc and also a property manager.