I don't like the thought of being told out of thin air that my lease won't be renewed and feel like I have to walk on eggshells to stay on the good side of a landlord lest he/she decide to get rid of me.In sum, Like @Ned Jackson @Ned Jacksonundefined says, lots of stuff we do is a "bad investment" but there are other things to consider besides purely financial rewards.

I live in California, and am seeking an Agent/Broker that is full of integrity, trust, honesty, and willing to work hard "Together" to be financially rewarded.  $$$ Or, if any of our "BiggerPocketeers" could recommend someone, that would be awesome

Pro rewards and the tracking with Home Depot is awesome.  

It's a rewarding venture and a great adventure too...

The huge difference was rewarding for sure! 

That whole process is a separate post, and includes filing the claim, coordinating with the adjustor and my mgmt, providing the adjustor receipts and documentation, catching that my claim reward accidentally excluded a material part of the plumbing repair, receiving two separate claim checks, depositing them without realizing they required endorsements by my mortgage servicer, having the checks rejected by my bank while incurring fees, having the insurance company re-issue the checks directly to my loan servicer, finally depositing the checks this past weekend…and while I write this I’m realizing I may have coverage for lost rental income to follow up on!

James, your intentions are great, and I highly recommend your approach---total transparency, explain, explain, explain, and be up front about risks and rewards. 

I've been a software engineer for almost 10 years, and while it's certainly rewarding in its own right, it can be extremely stressful and draining mentally.

Regarding, insurance, you might be able to get a policy, but if you submit a claim, the insurance company may deny the claim due to your illegal use of the property.You will need to personally weigh the risk vs. the reward.

If you're going to live in it, you may as well let the lender pay for the renovations and reap the reward of appreciation.Stephanie