The optimal is now to buy a mulit-family residential property.

Or just holding and optimizing?

Optimally we'd like to help get them transitioned into the market rent but based on what the previous owner did with their rental rates I don't think they can afford it.

Step 2 optimize.

In the DC suburbs where there is less demand than in the city I average a 2% vacancy rate, and I could cut that down if I marketed the property earlier when I know I have tenants leaving, but I get too busy selling properties that I dont optimally run my rental portfolio.

The optimal thing to do is use a 30yr mortgage but treat it like a 15yr.

It doesn't take too much optimism in projections to go from a 3% return to an 8% return.  

The problem is that most investors aren’t going to sell a marginally profitable investment despite the fact that returns aren’t “optimized”.

Letters, SEO, a buyers agent, wholesalers?

It’s not optimal.