TIA I look at these things the most when looking for BRRRR cities - Rent-to-Price Ratio: Look for cities where the average rent is high compared to the average mortgage cost- Population and Job Growth: Focus on cities experiencing steady population and job growth, higher than national average- Availability of Distressed Properties: Look for cities with a supply of pre-foreclosures, short sales, and abandoned propertiesNormally bigger cities in those states should do well, houses are still somewhat affordable (comparatively) and if you do a big rehab it'll pay off

Do I have no choice but  to  pay expensive attorney fees to get this done, as I do not live in PA but here in TX.  

My question is should I just try to find the money, pay the cash, then immediately cash out refi?

Can I "pay myself" to manage my rentals 20.5 k on a sched C and write off the fee.

We were okay with paying a bit extra for something we love, but with the added complications of the undisclosed claim and the high insurance premium due to the property being in a high-risk status, it’s become a concerning situation.

But, the point is you want to understand the rates/terms of the loan you are using to make sure that you are not paying a lot of additional costs or pre-payment required to get the cash out a few months early. it may very well be worth it but you want to compare apples to apples. 

That's primarily due to the collateral that is the policy death benefit....low risk for the insurer because they know, eventually, you'll die and they'll recoup the outstanding loan before paying out the death benefit.

Will the renovation bring in a higher rent rate and pay for itself?

I don't think paying gurus is necessary.

I'd have to double the security deposit, raise the rent by 20%, and double the cleaning fee to even make it worth considering-- which I would if people were willing to pay but the market doesn't support those prices.