Twenty-four hours is presumed to be a reasonable notice in the absence of evidence to the contrary.”)I do not see where the law defines “notice,” but would make sure that my notice was in writing - does not have to be on the door.Once, in the middle of winter, when faced with a similar situation, I treated the situation as an emergency - had to make sure that heat was left on (and it turned out that it was not.)

And you need your GC to give you the thumbs up regarding the physical aspects of the property, at least the visible parts.

Unless you have a couple houses and want to gain the experience, or want to scale up a management company to several hundred units+, I can tell you from experience that having professional PM is worth the money, even if it just for the time saving aspect.

After learning on how many other ways you can finance I am less scared off by the money aspect. 

One can learn by this example.Goals help us to define the path we are taking and can give us motivation.I agree, the journey is important, but so are results.

It's been my experience that potential tenants...at least the good ones, lol...see that as a positive aspect of the place.

In your particular segment of building type you defined as 20 unit, this is a segment not targeted by large investors, so you may be able to squeeze one out from an owner-operator looking to unload.3.

Here is how IRS defines self-employment:https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-se...I agree with Logan, there are many ways for your wife to utilize her talents and gifts while staying at home, keep exploring and I'm sure you will find the right fit soon enough. 

Is anyone familiar with this aspect of the deposit rules?

It's definitely the "investment" aspect of this that is a challenge, as it would be years upon years to recoup that money.