For a more straightforward way of distributing it tax-efficiently, you could give it to a charitable entity, so if they are part of one that would be easy-peasy.

I say that mostly so you don’t think I’m a rando when asking my question and asking you to take your time to respond.Commercial Building Owners - Can you give me some insight into the things you think about or care about when it comes to the roof on your building and / or the Energy Efficiency of your building?

Sometimes, it is easirer to cut your losses and move on rather than wasting time and energy on something that will go nowhere.

Here are a few links for you to check out:https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/51/topics/781803-learning-about-syndicationhttps://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/51/topics/839015-are-syndications-extremely-tax-efficient

Based on your experience and knowledge, which would be the most efficient option for newbie investors considering our situation, and family size?

This is why the former owner wanted out as he didn't have the energy nor the will to continue.How long did it take?

The caveat I qualify "yield & risk" argument is that it applies in an "efficient market".

Focus on that and it should provide some clarity on how to adjust your investing strategy. as for the money, rates are super low and inflation is set to rise, so it's probably not an efficient use of capital to pay things off but that may not matter depending on your goals, it's good to consider though. 

The area appreciates quickly.I suppose my hesitation is that it requires a lot of work to renovate and maybe my $50k could be more efficiently used elsewhere.

So, whatever you decide to do -- make sure it is efficient enough to handle the key zones, which are all living and sleeping areas, or else its just something for them to complain about, and there isn't much you can do about it.I think how much more rent you can charge is based on your current rents.