Hi @James Holmes those rents for each side sound really low - do you mean $1400 for each side, $2800 total? 

Let them know you’re hungry to learn, can help with anything (calls, research, showings, cold outreach, social media, whatever), and that you’re not expecting pay—just the chance to be in the room and soak it all in.Go to local meetups, real estate investment groups, and networking events (check out Meetup.com, BiggerPockets, Facebook groups, even your city’s REIA).

They have a do it yourself business model. 

You haven't indicated whether you self manage or have a manager, but you are going to want to research this and know it well if you are going to use future bookings in your negotiations (I don't recommend using it in advertising, consider it a disclosure).

If you think you can handle it yourself, watch the movie Pacific Heights.

My questions would be if you would be permitted to do the work and legally get the credit for it to be called a garage after you were done. 

Now, that was never enforced and as long as you only had 1 per address you could still do it.

When I read the NOI is $x but it should be Y I chuckle - they want me to buy a property at what it could be but do the work to get it there - no thank you.

With a handful of exceptions (extremely expensive markets, knowing you're going to move shortly in a market that won't cash flow, circa 2006, etc.) it makes more sense to buy if you are financially capable of doing so as you point out.

I want it to be a safe home for her and so I would like to upkeep it to the best of my ability but still being cognizant that it's not a rental yet.