Personally, I have a master where every item is broken down into the 16 CSI Master Format divisions where I listed, down to the nails specs, every item you could ever need, and I sourced the prices from hardware stores and specialty stores.Then I had tables for items like: "wall framing" where I included all needed items from the first sheet leaving the qty at some nominal number like 10 feet.

Trying to make out the sun at 6AM and come up with directions, is like trying to punch a square peg through a round hole... it ain't gonna happen.

I am just getting my feet wet in reading and learning about real estate investing.  

I look at the square foot of the house and figure out how much the land lords are getting per square foot.

You can also add two feet of plastic around the home with landscaping rock over it, again to keep the water moving away.

We went with Juniper Square as we thought it had the best features for what we need now and what we will need as we grow.

I know it's not necessary to invest in properties that are driving distance; however, my question is assuming positive cash flow is it worth competing for properties with such a high cost per square foot?

You're going to pay close to $1,000 per square foot and it's 25% down on an investment property. 

What I mean by this is while some vents can cover 50 square feet of interior space, others cover 200 square feet of area.

Make sure that you're not in violation of any building codes, I'm reasonably certain for example that GFCI's are required within X feet of an interior water tap almost everywhere in the country.