But why would paying off the properties impact the repairs, insurance and taxes?

Worse yet you are a minority shareholder in the property so you cannot force them to sell.

One of the wonderful things about rentals is the crash had little impact on my long-term plan.

Before we address the impact tapping that equity may have (via a HELOC), it's crucial to determine what you'll experience from a financial perspective.Recovering your down payment is huge but once monthly expenses start to hit, you may have that coming right back out of your pocket. 

Because pipe was missing and being rushed because we had to get to closing table I missed the fact that we couldn’t check radiators upstairs to make sure leaks had been fixed because there was no pipe forcing steam.. big rookie mistake . 

I own 6 STR units and manage properties for people in California and that are in the armed forces.

In this case, they technically might be able to force you to make their rent include electric for the time the furnace was on their line.If they're a new tenant, and you're in one of those states, I'd probably just eat the electric bill for the first month or whatever while it gets fixed.

How much impact will Coronavirus have with real estate? 

Please take a moment to review the following and consider the impact on your expenses and the wear/tear on the property:https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/adding-roommate-lease-or-rental-30187.htmlIf the roommate passes the application and screening, you definitely want them to be on the lease as fully responsible for the entire lease and rent.

Would this significantly impact returns come year 7 if tenants decide to leave?