.- Neighborhoods to Avoid: Are there any areas that I should steer clear of due to high crime rates, low property values, or other red flags?

A good PM can steer you to the areas that perform the best and are in the most demand.If you rely on a sales agent, they may not have any idea what makes a good rental and could steer you in the wrong direction. 

I almost never post anything on BiggerPockets, so I appreciate you steering me in the right direction.

Thus the greater fool theory.Personally, I steer away from D class properties and try to go to C+ to B- areas where you get good hard working people with families that want a safe place to live.  

They will be a great resource to you and hopefully steer you in the right direction.

It hasn't steered me wrong yet.

Feel free to reach out, Im only licensed in HI and WA state (so not trying to steer you to any company) but I'm always happy to help out fellow veterans/answer any questions you might have. 

I may be able to assist in the initial zoning analysis and steer you in the right direction with my NYC connections to get the site developed.

They might be able to steer you in the right direction.To piggyback off of @Jake Andronico, I'd consult your lender about your intentions to see if they would need any specific requirements.

In one of my own personal properties we chose not to have a hot tube and we removed almost all exterior light because of the activities we are steering towards!