I am looking to also check out some areas that would be considered good to invest. I

If they put up any sort of resistance, that could be a cue to start digging a little deeper and documenting a bit more thoroughly (hence the doorbell camera coverage tip I put first - installing the cameras right away and then having the new lease conversation with the tenants afterward is very easy to frame as "I'm just a new owner putting some TLC into the property and doing my due diligence on the leases/tenants"; talking to your residents first, finding out they have extra people living there who aren't on the lease, and then installing cameras around the property could set you up for a very adversarial relationship with your inherited tenants). 

Thanks for these tips!

Additionally, if there are any resources or tips you'd recommend for a beginner like me to excel in the REI bookkeeping realm, I would be grateful for them.Thanks in advance for your guidance!

Most of our housing stock is 60 to 120 years old and requires a lot of capex, especially the bottom of the barrel properties are typically fools gold, because capex will exceed cash flow over a few years.

If you have any tips about house hacking or real estate in general it would all be appreciated!

These are great tips, Allen!

Tip: Murphys Oil Soap might Clean that paneling like new.

Is there a list of neighborhoods or areas/area map that you recommend on where to invest versus where not to invest?I

These are just some tips to help you decide on weather you need active income still or not.