. - Get a traditional loan after mom passes (Total purchase price-what we have paid off= new agreed upon purchase price of the home)?

Return the security deposit portion with an itemized statement in accordance with local laws.

I am not able to qualify for a traditional loan due to my lack of job history.

Traditional investment property financing is probably not appealing. 

A lot of the maintenance costs come from outdated items, which then get addressed in Capex too, or the wildcard: tenants.  

I understand that if you make them out to your self it does allow you to bid on multiple items with the same checks but we did not have an issue with limited funds in those days.Each place has there rules and thats the fun of this game .. 

Those items cannot be legally disputed.

Those items cannot be legally disputed.

To determine if the expense should be classified as a capital improvement or a deductible repair, the context of the expense is very important.An example is, if an item of expenditure is part of a general plan of modernization, renovation or rehabilitation to equipment or other business property, it typically must be capitalized even though on its own it would be currently deductible.According to IRS Code, expenses that you must capitalize are those that:Materially increase valueSubstantially prolong useful life (including replacement of deteriorating assets)Adapt the property to a new or different useHowever, you are allowed to deduct expenses and fees for routine maintenance and repairs that help keep the property in efficient operating condition.

For a traditional STR you might want a place with a cool spray painted wall to take pictures of and post to social media.