3) If a flipper, what was the quality of their renovations?

Speak to their references.

I can SPEAK with someone on the other end (like a vendor) with sound - but this live interaction is NOT ABLE TO BE RECORDED. 

Ask to speak with some of their current owners and current/former tenants.

auctions will be a difficult way to acquire properties as a brand new investor.Yes, I've got ~10 property managers and ~10 agents (looking at on-market deals as well) I'm speaking / spoken with drummed up through Google / Biggerpockets in each location.

Generally speaking, as long as your daughter has not reached the $13M lifetime gift limit, the gift won't be subject to gift tax.You would want to get a qualified appraisal for the the fair market value at the time of gift/sale, Zillow is not the most reliable :-)

You're flipping the property to rental quality, creating a SOW, hiring contractors, or swinging hammers DIY to get it done. 

@James Kiefer From what I understand Pittsburgh happens to have some decent underlying fundamentals so it may not be a bad place to invest but certainly speak with local experts.

Just get a quality camera. 

I always charge fees for animals so it's money in my pocket.I occasionally waive the fee for a fish tank, depending on the quality of renter.