Come on people, measuring appreciation from a once in a life time market bottom in 2009-11 is misleading to a new investor.  

So measurements are on the whole building, not the individual units.

Is there such a scale, should we even measure our knowledge or seriousness by the number of deals we've done?

Remember that FHA mortgages have very stringent requirements for condition of the property, and its possible the current owner has gone through the inspection process and found that the property is lacking in certain areas, perhaps in items that the owner is unwilling to remedy prior to sale.Last note: you wrote that the owner specified it would NOT be able to be an owner-occupied purchase... was the property fully rented with leases in place?

When you have turnover I think it is fine to get that if you want to and are ready to comply with the stringent laws.  

The chute pictured here measures 7 x7 wide and 5 foot tall.  

I only received an email from him with drawings of the cabinet layouts and measurements, asking me to approve it. 

Some neighborhoods might be a little harder to manage on your own as a newbie, for example you might need a more stringent tenant screening process.

There has been gang activity in this neighborhood in the past, but the city has taken measures to improve this and things have gotten better....Is it safe to assume that it's only going to continue to get better?

Since it was cleaned new tenant went to the house to measure for her furniture and afterwards let me know that she couldn't handle the smell of the carpet and that she wants it replaced.