personal finances and mortgage with local lender How did you add value to the deal?

My 2 cents is that for non-sleeping areas, hot tubs, pool tables and movie rooms are top amenities that guest have personally told me they like the best.I think an outdoor rated pool table (or maybe ping pong table), TV and comfortable seating would likely be the best bang for your buck.

Wondering what, if anything, I could do to spruce up the place to make it more attractive to a potential tenant OR if there are ideas of what I could personally do to it that would create some nice cash flow for me (co-working spaces, etc.).

Any contacts of a good reliable person in the area - would like to set up a relationship with them and keep them in my list of contacts for future work.  

If it were me, I would try to buy out the current owner, and do a partnership with your money person.  

Do you think if the grant deed showing the transfer from the personal name to the LLC would work? 

The LLC protects your personal assets from liability of your business.

@Kingsley MichelYou might want to follow the "Deep Dive" series we're doing on our BiggerPockets blog about Metro Detroit cities, City of Detroit Neighborhoods and comparing Metro Detroit to other hotspots investors usually consider: https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/99854-deep-dive-into-metro-detroit-cities-ecorseOur analysis is a template you can follow for any city, but doubt you'll find this much info for any other market in the US.

I have a mailing list of over 3000 recipients and are aiming for a personal touch with letters that appear handwritten and are signed in ink.

It's important to do your homework and think about your personal risk tolerance and long-term goals.Good luck!