Make your cash-offers, remodel/value add (ideally), and then cash-out into a fixed rate.  

Is cleaning up garbage, scrubbing toilets, fixing broken sinks, carpentry or any of those the highest & best use of your time? 

Full interior gut and remodels?

We used the money to pay her car note off and did our primary home remodeling so now she's happy and on board for future deals.

Can't recommend @Joseph Cornwell enough, he helped me buy my first duplex in Cincinnati and he has a contracting business, so he can give you advice on repairs, remodel costs, etc

I'd start out by looking for contractors that have working knowledge in the remodel business as they will know the scopes required to complete the project.

I’m an architectural designer & drafter who works at a high end firm and we use it for all our remodel projects.

I recently purchased a small farm (1 acre) with a house that we just finished remodeling.

I’m planning on renting to the tenants for another four months or so while I start working on getting the permits for a major remodel.

Infact, it's advertised online with the Realtor.com site showing all the amenities of my apartment, the electrical, the plumbing, the windows, the door, the shower and toilet and even the kitchen sink so obviously it must be legal because I can't see an agent of his caliper risking his career and livelyhood for undisclosed info.