I will admit, the basics lacks luster, sizzle, the motivational aspects perhaps, I'm not a guru, it's an educational site, just as if you were taking an on-line college course.

High school math teacher here...extremely fed up with lack of funds all year round leading to tight spending during vacation. 

Is "full renovation" common among houses built in this era, or is it common for builders to get by with a "partial renovation" (for lack of a better term), despite the homes being 90+ years old?

@Adam Willis, you missed THE most important aspect that I find lacking in nearly all PM's today, Quality, Timely COMMUNICATION! 

There are historical reasons for the lack here, but I wont bore you with the details.Another consideration, on cheaper properties, say in the under $300k price range...for some reason, the rents on these tend to be a bit stronger on the Maryland side of the border than they are in Virginia....so you will find a better price/rent ratio in Maryland.

Until this last June I was in the apple/pear/cherry biz the past 20+ years.

Courage is not the lack of fear, but acting in the face of it.  

You can set a apple or an orange on kitchen floor and either will roll to the center of the house approximately 10 ft away.  

What I'm currently lacking is knowledge and courage to jump in.Since no one enjoys rambling posts, I'll sign off here. 

Wish we could publish a 'watch list' of the bad apples to look out for.