The legal form may appear it is a gift... but the tax law in situations like this puts economic substance over form.You can ask your CPA for advice specific to your fact pattern.

I agree with @Robert Eyers about not devaluing the deal with cash flow showing slightly negative patterns versus a stable cash flow positive.  

Seriously though, I know white cabinets, dark wood trim, white painted brick (a cardinal sin to paint brick anyway IMO so good riddance there), glass block bathrooms, Tuscan kitchens, brass hardware, reclaimed wood, Edison bulbs, furniture and fixtures made out of black pipe and distressed wood, interior sliding barn doors, pastels, too much granite, chevron patterns, whicker furniture, etc. have all been way overdone recently and are on their way out now, and brightly painted cabinets are in, but beyond that I’m not sure what the “next” design trends are currently.

Don't expect to make any actual money for 5 years is also a good thought pattern, just so you don't get disappointed.

For instance, if all apartments in your market are using granite countertops and vinyl flooring, you don't want to install marble countertops and brand new hardwood floors. 

You should continue that pattern for the elected number of years, most likely.

Hello, I've noticed the same pattern of sales listed in Zillow here in Baltimore.

I'm trying to find recent data on migration patterns.

Your post made me think of something I read a few weeks ago from Howard Marks:-there are few if any facts regarding the future,-the vast majority of our theorizing about the future consists of extrapolating from past patterns, anda lot of that extrapolation – and just about all the rest of our conclusions – consists of what Lipsitch calls opinion or speculation and what I call guesswork.

The other parcel has 3.5 acres which has an all brick ranch house built in 1967. it has 3 Baths, 3 Bed. 2 fire places. it was custom built. cedar closets, knotty pine wall, partial finished basement, two fire places (one brick one marble from italy) It also has a HUGE cinder block barn (2 levels) on the property (as it used to be used as farm land a long time ago).