After building a relationship, we agreed to sell each other our homes for a discount. 

Try connecting with wholesalers, real estate agents who find off market deals, and bird dogs who can send you over deals as discount so you can buy your second property.

Maybe offer tenants a $100 discount every month in return for being co-operative with showing.

Plumbing, AC/Ducts, Electrical, Kitchen, Bathroom.

Then I used $50k of my own money to fix it up, add bedrooms, bathrooms.

I’m looking to buy a home rn to live in and my market is absolutely insane rn people gettting 10-20k over asking and I’m looking at some homes that are discounted and some are going through bankruptcy.

One day its the fridge, next AC, next bathroom fixtures, unless they are paying top dollars and you can afford to upgrade their life, its better not to fix it unless it is a safety issue or broken (and sometimes tenets purposely break it because they want a new one). 

He also called the city and we have a notice to change carpet and a mold test to be done for bathroom. 

I bought the property off market at a discount and with appreciation now have 20% equity.

Likely give full service for huge discount with buyer in hand and zero marketing energy.