@Veeru Rao - First let me congratulate you on taking action and getting the ball rolling with your initial properties! 

.$100k to me is more to get the ball rolling and compound on the future investments made.MFR is an opportunity I'm working towards attaining once I get the funds for it.

I don’t need to make a killing… I need to keep moving the ball foreward…. 

It seems like interest rates are most common, so that's what I'm leaning towards, but is the ball in my court regarding the terms or in the investor's?

Good question and we don't have a crystal ball.

For example, it might not make sense to ball out and put a new metal roof on a Hilltop duplex when you could just put an asphalt roof on and it will do the same job for cheaper, even if you are holding for a long time.

Too many variables.If it were me, I would low ball them, come to an agreement, and then do another round of negotiations once you can get inside and do your due diligence. 

They consistently drop the ball and are charging waaaaaay below market rents.

If so what are the actionable steps I should be taking to get that ball rolling?

Sure, managing what you've got is important, but without a deal, you're just spinning your wheels.Now, when it comes to buying up properties, multi-family ones are a whole different ball game compared to single-family homes.