Its important to know what the max rents will be so that you can cover your mortgage payment and hopefully also cash flow every month.

The second Property Management company I never could understand the payouts and the payments was never correct.

When do you make owner payments?

Single family house, which required smaller down-payment and little cosmetic repairs.

Run the numbers as if you leased the property from him at 10% x the value of the home( not including 1,000 acres) in lease payments @60% occupancy.

I asked the GC as part of the conditional last $20k payment to transfer the title to me after his mortgage note default since I'd paid him $40k in good faith for work reportedly completed but needed rework.3.)

I do not have to do anything right now, I just need to learn, wait for the right opportunities, or create them - for example by trying to use subject to and take over someone else's payments who locked in a lower interest rate from a few years ago. 

I guess to get a definite answer I'll have to cold call to get see if all these people are behind on their payment or it's just a standard practice behind some salesmen!

Since you're investing from a distance, I recommend interviewing multiple agents, lenders, property managers, contractors, and other professionals to build a strong and reliable team.

Comparable sales are the most reliable way to determine value.