For restaurants, rent should ideally be under 10% of gross sales, so I believe $5,500 a month is fair.The seller doesn't have a rent roll or strong financials, and his tax returns are 50% lower than his claims.

(Note) Max Budget on Skip tracing leads: $300 (ideally)

Getting everything all done at once without any problems is ideal, but it doesn't always work out that way. 

I would like to purchase long-term rentals (ideally in the Denver metro where I live) but am not sure what, if any, cash flow I could achieve. 

Ideally, you'd want to be no more than 75% LTV, and 70% is better.If you don't want a DSCR loan, your next best option will be to partner with someone with good credit and enough income to qual.

Ideally, 100% in the U.S.

On the other hand, unless the seller is financing it, you are almost certainly not going to get 100% financing, so you'll need the down payment plus reserves for working capital and capex.I'd then look to find an experienced apartment owner, ideally one in your area, who can look over your proforma assumptions to make sure you haven't forgotten anything big. 

So ideally, I would like to catch the leaks before they become a problem.

I would like to purchase my property in the next 12-24 months, ideally before I graduate.

After a year of research, preparation and saving, this opportunity—featuring four houses within two miles of my current home—appeared ideal.