Units would never undergo rehabs and given time would all be out of date and likely result in blighted areas. 

Better than buying anything 1800s and continuously undergoing rehab, in my opinion.

If the seller is a bank, and the house is undergoing renovation, it was a distressed sale.

The specific area that this property is in is one block from the downtown area where it's up and coming (i.e vacant lots undergoing ground up construction for 'luxury' condominiums).

Mount vernon ny interesting city and that's where im starting , my home town. one of the cities that lie on the boarder of NYC (the 5 boroughs ) that will undergo (and is undergoing) gentrification because the vein of public trans to nyc runs through it. just a little background on me. ive dropped out of college 3 times , im currently chasing my B.S in Mechanical Engineering. ive acquired a decent job after years of retail.  

The new condos/lofts for sale in the area range from $180k-$400k) Is there a chance that rents will actually rise as appreciation could begin to happen as the area undergoes further gentrification?

I had many candidates over the years make a point of thanking me and my team for undergoing this interview process with them even after they weren't hired because often, it was the first time that someone sat down with them to really help them understand their career goals and in the process, some ended up making different career decisions because of that.Obviously, you can do any or all of these just make sure that you are following basic HR non-discrimination laws.

I plan on holding on to this property for a while since the street directly outside the property is undergoing a revitalization plan upgrade.  

With this duplex property in Garfield Heights, we should (closed on 12/24, undergoing light reno) be able to achieve 13% Cap rate, 22% CoC, another 51% return on my cash in the form of equity.  

There is recent news stating that starting 2019 the L Train in New Yorks Subway will be undergoing maintenance for 18 months between the Bedford and 8th Ave stops.