Pricing trips aboard vs domestic seems to come out on top that aboard destinations provide much more value.

This will be important for tax purposes and overall financial management.If you're feeling overwhelmed at the end of all this, consider hiring a property manager or consulting with a real estate attorney who can guide you through the process and handle any legal concerns.

Here's a detailed guide on how to screen applicants: Application Screening Guide

If you didn't have an actual solution to give of how to contact out of state owners living in NYC without my having to take a trip, why comment at all?

So yes, you can guide the contractors, you just can't swing a hammer yourself. 

Many lenders hare restrictions or guide lines on how long you have to keep the house in order to flip the house, while others have guidelines on how small a mortgage they will consider.

The goal is to make before as comfortable as possible without worrying about packing everything for their trip.

But to get the right education, you need to be guided by people who are more experienced than you are.

There are "rules of thumb" to operate by, but they are general guides that change with time and definitely change with markets. 

Even if you have good folks on the ground to help you out, you are going to be making trips to take care of things that those people are unlikely to do, not the least of which is risk management:  Making sure your property is safe for guests, inside and out.