Whenever you are buying a property out of state you should do a few things to ensure it's as smooth as possible.

I hope everything goes smoothly with the duplex in Detroit.

However, Pasadena is full of older houses that need some modern amenities and features, like higher ceilings, smooth ceilings, new flooring, double pane windows, modern appliances, modern paint colors, etc. 

Of course you’ll want to run the numbers and make sure it works/cash flows BRRRR method seems to work more smoothly when one pays cash for the purchase and rehab.

I used Longhorn III Investments on one of my properties, went very smooth.

In fact, this flip went relatively smooth despite it's late start.

What started off being a smooth listing for a fellow national guard guy is starting to turn sour I agree.

Or do you add something in your lease to make it run smoothly?

School, sports, clubs, college, and internships filled your calendar and you began to operate efficiently as a well oiled machine, if you were a car you might be a Toyota or a Honda, smoothly operating with reliability day in and day out. 

This has allowed us to get rid of PMI and utilize a HELOC for any future investment purchases in the future.My best advice for you would be to find a local real estate agent who is familiar with what you're trying to accomplish, a lender who can offer renovation financing (and navigate it smoothly, as sometimes they can be more complex), and a contractor who will be able to take on this type of project with the bank.Best of luck!