Frankly, I'm not crazy about tenants messing with anything that has to do with connecting water that is always left on (ie dishwasher, washing machine) or electricity that needs to be specifically wired (ie range, dryer).

ABC kept the first two and half months of rent from the rental guarantee for tenant placement fees and utilities (water, electric).

I am a contractor and we live in a great neighborhood so the house would be a great investment if we can purchase at the right price. as it sits the house is prob worth 100-150k.

And if they are a hobbyist/part-time builder, then they should engage the proper professionals, i.e. a title officer, civil engineer, architect, contractor et al to assist in reviewing the project's feasibility.

Have also done work in DC and Maryland and would say Virginia has significant benefits over DC and Maryland because it is more business friendly and jurisdictions are willing to work with not against developers on projects I mentioned as well as you mentioned With the federal government and government contractors not going away - area is great for investment.

I just submitted plans to the city and now I'm looking for contractors/vendors. 

In each category, note how much you are bothered or stressed on a 1 to 5 scale, with 1 = not bothered at all and 5 = stressed out: Pain Points Stress1 to 5 Pain Points Stress1 to 5 Unit turnover Exterior maintenance Advertising for available units Deferred capital expenditures Tenant screening rules Plumbing or electrical emergencies Tenant selection / discrimination rules Mortgage payments Documenting move-in conditions Bookkeeping and bill paying Documenting ongoing conditions Taxes and insurance premiums Dealing with tenant complaints Risk of late payments or non-payments Dealing with neighbor complaints Risk of property damage or vandalism Mold, termites and rodents Premises liability Interior maintenance Evicting tenants If your completed table has mostly 1s and 2s, then congratulations—you are a happy landlord!

Finding an agent, finding contractors, overseeing repairs, finding a property manager, finding tenants, etc.

Being a realtor, you already know the area, you know contractors and you know what's happening in the city.

My partners & I are flipping in Chattanooga so I hung out there for a couple of days, meeting my contractor and agent for the first time; of course I went by and took at our flip.