Lucked out by getting a new water heater for free when it fried out and had THREE days of warranty left!  

The tenants pay their own utilities, garbage and water.

Horizontal cracks in the walls and water seepage.  

Also, regarding the financing aspect - what is the most effective and efficient way to go about it?

. $295kRents: 2600Expenses mortgage/insurance/tax: 1625 utilities (water sewer gas) : 250 8% vacancy: 215 5% capex: 130 5% maintenance: 130 total: 2350I would be living in one unit as soon as it opens in December.

He pays utilities/water/cuts grass.

AND, it seems that nearly every available property comes with landlord paid gas and water (for those curious, my agent and contractor saw it's a safe neighborhood, spoke with the police captain for this District, and has been told it's safe, and has a strong Community Council and neighborhood identity- just low income). 

Yeah the issue is the "re-entitlement," for your father because once the VA loan is paid off there is a process probably through the Arizona VA office to restore that entitlement so the VA program is once again available for his purchase.So depending on his close of escrow date for this new home and when it is or how flexible the seller is then using a refi to conventional and VA for purchase would be possible even with a couple hurdles.I think that is the most efficient path too since VA rates are generally lower than conventional.

YOU work in Vancouver or WA and you pay NO state income tax.. your partner has some hiccup on the drive but its only about a 3 mile traffic jam then your off the freeway on surface streets to Portland State... and there is a huge water front deal going on in Vancouver.. it could be a real good play .. but something to check out.living down south like Newberg or anything like that is a non starter unless you want to drive an hour each way.but I have two duplex's that I can send your way they are both in Beaverton and are off market I would let you look at those before we list them and deal with multiple offers etc. in the process of rehabbing them now.good luck with your search.. if you can handle the weather here it can be a nice place to live like its been raining for 2 straight days.. many of us Californians really get sick of it and want to go back home LOL..

So basically Efficiency is key from my understanding.