We have a condo in Atlantic City in an older building and they raised my fee 25% for the next 12 months due to water proofing the exterior brick. 10 years ago they built a brand new indoor pool and rasied HOA for 5 years and it DOUBLED my monthly fee.You are always at the mercy of HOA and their fees. 

Furthermore, you must be careful about payments and benefits later to assure no more taxable gifts between the two of you if you are trying to avoid that.2) basis in the property - gifts take a carry-over basis as opposed to purchasing the property where the purchaser receives a FMV basis or receiving by inheritance in which case the heir receives the property with a stepped-up basis. 

100% broker is not a good idea for someone who is actually trying to become a real estate agent as opposed to just have a place to hang a license they dont plan to use.  

Account Closed starting on the exterior / rebranding first is a good approach, as you want to give he apartment a newer, more upscale image.You should naturally weed out the less-than-desirables as you implement your rental increase, this is also where you'll have vacancy opportunities to renovate units. 

New roof, new kitchens in both units, replaced all toilets and vanities, new flooring and paint, upgraded to LED light fixtures throughout, new exterior paint.

I'm currently getting an estimate for exterior and roof damage from the last storm a couple of weeks ago and planning on pushing the insurance on that as well.

Renovated the units and some exterior and added HVAC systems.

It's much easier to tell whether a person is full of s**t or has their act together if you are interacting with them in person as opposed looking at a file (much like the example above).Landlording is about managing people at least as much as it is about managing spreadsheets. 

If the neighborhood wouldn’t suffer from those who chose not to invest in the exterior of their buildings/landscaping I’d be all for getting rid of the HOA. 

Architects follow very details codes, ordinances, bulletins, etc. and other industry standards to provide interior and exterior spaces that are safe for utilization by all.