Out of state - When are the right times to fly to see the property?

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I have a logistical question about investing in buy-and-hold out of state - When is/are the right time(s) to fly out to see a specific property I'm going to buy?

My thoughts are that I would have my family / trusted friends see prospective properties for me.  If one makes sense on paper and my family / friends on the ground have a good feel, then this is where I'm not sure what makes sense.

Would you fly out to see the property before putting an offer in, or would you wait until inspection, or both?  My concern with flying out before putting an offer in is that I feel like spending ~$400 on a flight would be quite a bit of money first of all, and second of all mentally commit me to buying the property. That's why I was thinking I'd just make sure my contact on the ground does a really thorough walk through of the property with a list of things I want them to look for.

How do other out of state investors handle this?