Where in the deep south is this?

That is deep @Allen Seto but is true yet for many others looking to break into the industry.

In regards to Milwaukee specifically, I would suggest you research and determine what specific area of the city you are interested in and focus really deep. 

You are not living rent free you are deep into negative cash flow.

I suspect the walls have had 15+ coats of non-leaded paint since 1978, but I don't know how deep the test goes.Are there any situations where lead can cost a modest amount of money to remediate, or are we facing a huge financial burden once any lead is found?

Staining, updating all decor, added smart locks, LED light bulbs, repairs, new AC and deep cleaning.

Most  CASH FLOW day one markets are in the mid west deep south or Rust belt.. and frankly they are all pretty much interchangeable.

Hey, my 401k and stocks are deep in the shi*ter right now, but my rentals have always made me smile. 

Alternate options considered:1. cut the fiberglass bathtub from the bathroom upstairs to access copper pipes - need to get someone for cutting a hole through fiber glass and fixing it back up after the copper pipes are replaced.2. cut the drywall in the bedroom upstairs adjacent to the bathroom - the bathtub and copper pipes are deep inside might still make it harder for plumber to access3. pull out the master tub, remodel and rebuild the bathroom upstairs. 

@Max LopezYou might want to follow the "Deep Dive" series we're doing on our BiggerPockets blog about Metro Detroit cities, City of Detroit Neighborhoods and comparing Metro Detroit to other hotspots investors usually consider:https://www.biggerpockets.com/...