It will go a long way towards reducing repair requests if you can build rapport with them.These don't sound like a terribly expensive list of items.

An additional twist is that if you hold this and take (or, should have taken but didn't) depreciation, the depreciation reduces your basis and increases your gain.

If you make extra payments, either at the same time as a full payment or within the same period, the extra payment will reduce your principal balance.

Subject-to deals, as they relate to avoiding/reducing chance of triggering a due on sale clause can be found elsewhere in this and other forums.

For me personally, I am eliminating all debt and reducing my personal residence principle at a fast rate as well.  

Like @Brian Eastman mentioned you can get past this with an IRA LLC model, and most custodians that offer the IRA LLC model will even have reduced fee, as the reporting burden is usually less than an IRA.

Now I need to figure what can start reducing to calculate what I could potentially save. 

That reduces his risk which might translate to better terms.  

Delmas Edwards I believe new cabinet hardware is a cheap upgrade that improves how a property shows and reduces wear and tear on cabinetry if no hardware exists.

@John D.As I understand, Palm Desert grandfathered some but basically ended short term rentals, seems like this would reduce inventory?