the answer i'm giving is based on the assumption that you do not want to / can not float the negative cashflow any longer. and note: even if appreciation / debt paydown / tax benefits strongly outweighed the negative cashflow, most investors wouldn't want to / couldn't float that. so that said, i say SELL. you have just over a million dollars in equity (minus transactional costs when you sell), and you could do a 1031 exchange into a ~4 million dollar CASHFLOWING property. i invest long distance into value-add multifamily on the west side of chicago. gearing up for my next deal right now. in that price range you could easily get a value-add multifamily with potential to cashflow 15k/mo+++ (up to 40k/mo) once it reaches its full potential. it sounds like you're in markets that are probably strong for appreciation and weak for cashflow (with the long term rental strategy). if cashflow is your goal, 1031 into value-add multifamily in a higher-cashflow area. don't let having to pay commissions during the sale stop you. you're already losing so much annually; you have to stop the bleeding at some point. also note that right now, with the way these two properties are losing money, that might negatively affect your borrowing power when you go to buy the family home. feel free to dm me if i can help in any way!

If your goal is to own the property free and clear, then buying it outright can make sense. 

Remote online notarization is more common these days outside real estate. 

It was free the first year (or not free since their poor service and my lack of understanding cost me my tenants), but I refuse to pay for them again. 

Now I still try to help people and provide value but I’ve been effectively giving that away for free.

I worked with a local agent and looked online.

@Len P.Hi feel free to PM me:)

Feel free to reach out at any time and happy to share more specifics. 

Feel free to DM to discuss further over the phone.1.

That being said I'm planning to post a case study of how I helped my brother-in-law, a Contractor with a small 4-man team, go from struggling to $46,000 in new business in a very short time frame.If I had to write a highly click-bait worthy headline for this case study it would go something like...REVEALED: Struggling Contractor Signs $46,000+ in NEW Business in 7 days for FREE Without Paid Advertising Using This Simple 3-Step SystemI'm a glutton for memes, dad jokes, and anything that pokes fun at how ridiculous us marketers slice and dice language and communication in our marketing :)

My brother-in-law specializes in building patio covers, fences, decks, pergolas for residential homeowners.