Say adding a cul du sac and a few lots to a 2-3 ac parcel in a town. 

If experience is the lone qualification, you can align with a good realtor and contractor and maintain far greater control along with benefiting from all of the upside.

Alterations to the original building plans, however small, can create risks.In a nearby county, they have inspectors going around town to check for any unauthorized alterations, A co-worker had an old window AC, his wife was tired of not able to open and use that window, opted to buy a through the wall AC.

Local Regulations: How do local landlord-tenant laws, rent control policies, or other regulations affect investment profitability?

They can't control the utility company repairs, so this makes since.Hopefully they will get all these online quickly too.

Treat it as business relationship where it is mutually beneficial not just some guy you are trying to control and squeeze every bit of "what can you do for me" out of.

I lived in a mountain town tucked away in the Rockies for 7 years and to be honest I was pretty ignorant to the rest of the world.

I'm mainly focusing on Old Town, but would be open to Del Ray or Potomac Yards.  

It was a cluster of a problem getting one due to circumstances beyond my control but I finally found a good one.

we just passed on a deal in columbus that was 17 acres for 20k an acre in a town within 30 minutes of here for 300k because the seller wouldn't' allow us to do entitlement times.