I'm in Scottsdale/Phoenix/Mesa so I have a pretty good idea of what's going on in your local market.Well, you start with the numbers.Add up your monthly costs - mortgage payment, insurance, property taxes, power, water, internet, pool maintenance, landscaping, HOA, STR fees, etc.

So my money, the $5000 I had helped purchased the landscaping and patio, the kitchen essentials and everything needed.

Let’s say you have a lawn care and landscaping service.  

Don't get caught up in drop shipping etc. start with an in-person service-based business (Landscaping, pressure washing, etc.). 

Lay carpet, fix a toilet, landscape, put on shingles, fix a leak, etc. 

Picture a few decades of this, how would the landscape of the US look?

To determine what you can net, remember to factor in costs such as property taxes, maintenance including landscaping as you are responsible for maintaining the exterior and interior common areas, property management fees, owner-paid utilities, vacancy, insurance.Bigger Pockets Tools: On the BP website, there are a number of tools to help you analyze a property.

I actually have a positive suggestion: maybe talk to parents and ask them if it would be ok if your group paid for landscaping services to keep it looking half way decent...... 

Maybe a furnace, driveway, a lot of cheap landscaping and large quantities of bleach, kilz, and paint. 

I've encountered conflicting advice regarding strategies like painting, landscaping, and kitchen upgrades.