If it could cause a problem or safety issue, you handle it; if not, the tenant can decide. 

At the time I looked, 20 or so years ago, the problem with smaller down towns is the proliferation of nearby strip malls, where the stores are surrounded by a large parking lots, and for laundromats, attract more customers as they can park easily, walk to adjacent stores for shopping, snacks, and browse newspaper and magazine racks, which explains why they do better, there's more customers.

I understand the sentiment, but I think it will have more negative effects.The problem is with enforcement.

One problem that many people can run into especially at our young age is funding!

Are there problems with removing a property from a trust when that time comes? 

I then look at area vacancies, economic conditions, employment opportunities, area demographics and verify that the property has not been red tagged or have any other underlying problems that might make it difficult to resell or rent.When I have my financial information then I can consider debt service and costs related to equity partners in the overall income produced.

Since you will likely buy one at a time, work “upstream” to find problems earlier, sift and sort, then work with the prospects that show promise.

About the same price but smaller work scope/problems and 2 rents.

They have all sorts of problems now. 

However, the City initiated the "Buy Into Baltimore" open bid program (which we're interested in participating) through which you can bid/buy city-owned abandoned/vacant properties for redevelopment/resale.The problem is, there are so many blighted neighborhoods in Baltimore, it's tough to know where to start.