Before finalizing anything, I wanted to get a better understanding of how to evaluate different real estate opportunities and what challenges might be posed. 

You can make the determination by examining the mechanical systems yourself and finding out their age or hiring an inspector to evaluate the systems.

@Bryan Hartlen thanks for sharing more info.Agree that it shouldn't take this long to do MoveOut Evaluation!

It's called a payoff statementif it's a big lender you will not buy the loan as it will take forever, you are better just paying it off. you then can foreclose based on the total balance owed to you which is both loans and any accrued interest. regarding fixing property or selling as is, that really depends and needs to be evaluated on a case by case basis 

I like that you pointed out all the positives and negatives for a fair balanced post that will help other investors evaluate future options.I have been posting for a while on how hard the North Alabama market has become, and this post shows a good example of it. 

Hi Jonathan,Jay’s Fencing (209-847-3992), Elite Iron Fencing (209-968-6685), and Fletcher Fencing (209-662-8298) are solid options to get bids from and compare.I also offer consulting services to help clients navigate projects like this—whether it’s evaluating bids, ensuring the scope of work is clear, or helping you avoid potential issues during the process.

Quote from @Kody Smith: without getting too deep into my finances, what my strategy is...1. take loans to buy properties (leverage)2. fix/flip for day to day cash flow income3. use some of the fix/flip income to buy consistent cash flow through:- business acquisition, - commercial properties (MF and store fronts),I have no intention of doing ALL of the management myself, I will hire management as needed (medium term goal)my expected core role is money provider, evaluating the numbers, making decisions, and connecting with investors, wholesalers, lenders, contractors, and property owners.while I am just on step 2 of the journey, I am looking toward step 3 to stabilize, and not worry about if house prices drop mid project or not (or not worry as much) So to be fair this is more about obtaining and growing a real estate business not simply buying rentals for cashflow.

I spend so much time finding the 'right' properties across multiple markets on Zillow before I even evaluate in my buy box.

This is not yoursituation, but just to walk through the different thought processesin Holding/Selling that a friend of mine is going through.Helped my friend getinto the Self Storage business and walked him through the wholeprocess from evaluating the market, selecting a site, developing thesite, systems, financing, insurance, etc.

You need to evaluate the HOA and its management, with a focus on the reserve account percentages.