It would also double as my primary residence as I would live there spring and fall. 

At least from my experience if your purchasing a typically philly row (900-1200 sqft) for 100k with a resale around 250k a rough full gut budget is most likely going to fall somewhere around 80-110k excluding any structural issues, fire damage, etc.

I am investing in the Waterloo/Cedat Falls area mostly, but will be jumping into the Des Moines market soon.

But I would suggest this whole business could fall into that category that we might get conflicting advice, some not good.

Landlord insurance protects you from unforeseen liabilities which relate to your operation of the property as a rental (i.e. advertising injury, someone slips and falls at a showing, an invitee of your tenant gets hurt on the property, etc.). 

I'm a student athlete at OU wrapping up my undergrad this fall, with plans to pursue grad school soon.

It's disheartening when a promising opportunity falls through due to unforeseen underwriting issues.

Everything Ken said plus plaster walls, no insulation, higher electric bills, walls sweating when its humid in florida and the resident leaves front door open, damp smelly houses, Pealing paint, wood rot, old windows, crawl space under the home, bdrm and closet doors that don't close properly, electric locks that the old front door doesn't like as the door is not aligned correctly, Cyrstal knobs that fall off, old thermostats with 2 lines but my new thermostat needs 3 lines, critters in the fireplace....

I’m moving down to the Palm Beach County area this Fall.

So from funding balt city row houses to loudoun county :)Yeah it’s funny even on a personal level I lived in D.C. last year and the crime while I was never a victim there were probably at least a half dozen shootings within a few blocks a my apartment (which was literally across from where the nats play, a good part of town) and literally so many car jackings I lost count, eventually at the end of the year I was like I’m not paying 3k a month to have constant shootings next door, I’ve ended up for a variety of reasons spending at town of time on the eastern shore, and I kind of realized this is walkable & safe & affordable, I kind of think small towns are the future.