I think sometimes investors get tunnel vision and focus on one number when the reality is there are numerous things that go into a safe and stable investment in real estate.  

In addition to no heat, there were numerous other damages throughout the house, door knobs ripped out, holes in interior doors, a/c cover missing/broken, fast-food bags laying around half eaten, bottom basement step broken. 

Get your feet wet managing a local rental property, learn the ins and outs, and then start looking at other markets.  

Yes the HOA fees and rules aren't ideal but if you find something that provides good cash flow is a good way to get your feet wet while you get experience..Typically with a Condo you're only responsible for the "Walls Within", landscaping anything outside the HOA covers it..FHA loan can work but if you're not looking to House Hack than its not an option..

The school district continues to receive numerous accolades and top honors, which has certainly helped spur much of the growth. 

After spending countless hours answering numerous questions and being on hold with numerous insurance companies and brokers, I have had two refuse me at the last minute just as I was about to sign up.

I know that they aren't helpful as a metric-- trying to regress a complex situation down to a numeric score usually isn't helpful-- but in what ways specifically do they fall short?

Like @Brandon Turner has mentioned numerous times in podcasts /webinars, start analyzing to see whats out there.

Get your feet wet and start taking action.

I’m just getting my feet wet in this process.