Sounds like a smart kid!

We are in contract for another SFH in the Strong area.  

It was over $5,000 damage but the bed bug company said it wasn't their fault and the tenant signed the contract that the bed bug company wasn't responsible for any damages so I was stuck with fixing it myself.

They are rarely reported accurately by realtors on the MLS when transactions close to begin with and I don't believe anything other than the contract sale prices are utilized although an official study on this would be very interesting albeit a painstaking process to undertake. 

Check the contract.

I have a good agent I've worked with for years and letting him represent me not only gives me the advantage of additional counsel, it also gives me someone else to do the heavy lifting so I can concentrate on the deals themselves rather than the intricacies of the actual contract, the process of moving everything through closing and all the hiccups that often come with investment properties.

You’ve come to the right place to connect with some vary smart investors.

And that's to enter contract negotiations, so this would be via LOI not a full purchase agreement. 

I'd love to utilize their expertise when assessing a property since they are local but I'm not sure what the general expectation is when I don't have a tangible property and I have not entered into contract to work with them yet.Some questions I have are: local regulations/permitting timeline, property's potential from their perspective, landscaping/amenities cost estimate (they also help facilitate this).

Always be in front of the contract and prioritize where you're buying and entry price. lf all those are three in your favor, you have a lot of leeway with some of the normal but difficult parts of a fix & flop/hold.