Roof was done in 2008, HVAC in 2013, Electric water heater in 2014.

Te multi-Unit rental market is going through the roof, smart o invest with someone?

Sure it's more than laminate, but one hot pan/pot on the laminate and you might be replacing it quick.I can't see the photos on my phone, but if you upgrade anything that will take abuse, and the HVAC, windows and roof are in good shape, you might be able to renovate in that $15k budget.

They are not listed to buy together but I would try to get a "package deal" of sorts.My question is since these are all "separate" and not under the same roof, would having 8 units on the same street be considered multifamily residents or commercial real estate?

Then I work backwards from there with major items such as roof and hvac.

Unfortunately, being out of state means I can't always buy at a steep discount and forced appreciation isn't really an option.

Capex confers a benefit on the property over a long period e.g. installing a roof, replacing a driveway.  

Like lets say he spent the money on a bad contractor and the roof fell on someone.

Inspection came in, great air conditioning, great roof, great structure.  

Before I joined the Army I did home improvement side jobs, i.e. paint, dry wall, tile, carpeting, roofing, little bit of framing, pressure washing, junk removal, lawn care.