The pests are likely caused by something the tenant is doing (not storing food properly, keeping the place clean, etc). 

Knowing my end goal is to move to another state (Sperryville or Staunton, VA) and 3-4ish hours away to start a small hobby farm, does it make sense to pay off these properties rapidly in the next 5-6 years so that I have a total clean slate from a lending perspective in order to finance the land, house, and buildings, or does it not matter?

Most importantly: theft, deep cleans, odor removal, stained linens.

Then I purchased my own rentals that are all clean BRRRRs and grew my rental portfolio to over 7 figures.

So you're the guy cleaning up the yard, trashing out the house, working the rehab or supervising the rehab, learn some of the work you could do without much time...paint, demo, basic repair, cleanup, etc.   

That way I’ve got the bargaining power of cash with a quick close and a super clean offer, and the benefit of financing later to get the best return on equity/ COC.

My responsibility is to clean the front lawn and the rest of the property.

Similar with a SFH: I can at least get in the market with a 5% conventional loan not expecting cash flow but hoping appreciation will help me out in the next 2+ years and I will at least be able to put up the remainder of the expenses since I do live with my parents.I am young so I could be overthinking, but my end goal is to have a portfolio where I can cash flow enough within the next 5-15 years to let go of my job (5k clean a month).

Tenant now requests a water softener (we live in a very hard water area) due to clothes not being clean, stains, etc.

.- Your experience with your properties which do or don't have acreage / views / streams / ponds- Your experience with access to good labor (cleaning & handyfolks)- Your experience with the renters.