There are, of course, many factors that go into figuring out how you would be able to survive such a downturn but that depends on what you invest in and your potential mitigation and exit strategies.  

You can of course simply go to MHA and say, hey these tenants are month to month and I want to raise their rent because they haven't had it raised in a while.....THey will most likely look at that....and then,, presto...instant additional cashflow.....and most likely the MHA will pay the extra amount...not the tenant.Easy Peasy

We thought it would be our family home for a long time but of course life changes.

I wasted a lot of time and money reading tons of books and listening to podcasts and going to courses and seminars.

If you upgrade the exterior dramatically, the building may end up standing out and looking odd / not fitting in...

And the odds are you will be exiting real estate the same way. with no money .Why not take the course and get your real estate license ? 

3) How does the sales process work and how do you fit in?

Any suggestions on areas the fit the bill?

I can't just *not* tell them about it.From time to time, there are even deals that come across my desk that I don't have anyone with a buyer agency agreement that fits and I would take it myself personally where I turn them over to my clients.

Of course the house should be vacant, I meant before any other tenant moves in.