JACKPOT I thought.

The good news is that you can certainly find a handyman who will replace your windows with vinyl DIY windows from Home Depot or Lowes for a much lower cost.

Ultimately, it's going to depend on your investment goals and strategy.For example, if I'm working with someone in the Sacramento market, it's probably going to be a Bay Area investor who'd like to invest in a market with good appreciation and rent growth, but is still located in California, and is lower priced than Bay Area where most deals don't make sense on paper... too pricey.But if it's Phoenix, Scottsdale or Tempe we're talking about, it might be someone looking to AirBnb / VRBO a small condo in a hot part of town.

We currently live in Hawaii although will eventually move back to Montana where my in-laws are and we can enjoy a lower cost of living.

The cost to operate a good property mgmt company is much more then most think; so lower income into your mgmt company may mean managing the same amount of properties with the same overhead cost, but less revenue. 

The question is, I can get a lower rate using my own personal funds rather than a corp, but is that possible and legal to do so?

Or does it make more sense to investment in better neighborhoods and earn lower returns?

Even A areas like Folsom will have 500k duplexes in some pockets, but cash flow is going to be lower in higher end areas.  

The upside is related to the demand, the location, and "house hacking" for those with little money and need a lower down-payment. 

I have documentation on 2011 mortgage, my schedule E tax returns since 2011, recent renovations in 2017, insurance covered renovations in 2018 and recent refinance that removed PMI and lowered rate by 0.25% (cashed out some to pay off credit cards).