I’ve seen situations like this before..one old friend of mine in Austin had a few industrial buildings where the cash flow was decent but not dazzling, and he was itching for a way to ramp things up.

I wouldn't go into it with any preconceived notions of what the owner's intentions, situation or motivation may be.

Quote from @Brendan Jones: For the homes, and or properties that you will use as a primary or a rental property one big thing I look for is infrastructure in the area, extrinsic value (I.e. hospitals in the area, schools, and job market), and the last thing is creature comforts for people (I.e. is a store to get groceries 1 hour away or 2 minutes away).

There would potentially be some weight issues with the 2nd+ floors of some shopping malls, depending on what the potential tenant wants to store in the upstairs unit. 

Im self employed, roughly make $130k gross anually, 1099 NEC , no debt at all, 740 credit score.  Want to get a loan for $250k in AZ

.- Tenant submitted a work order for low water pressure in 2 bathrooms- Tenant submitted a work order because the garage door doesn't close all the way and left a 2-3 inch gap at the bottom- Owner initially refused to address either work order- Owner demanding the tenants place furniture pads on each piece of furniture- Owner calling multiple times to speak through the work orders, asking when they've been scheduled, calling a couple days later requesting the invoices- Owner calling because they want to access their storage in the basement so they can remove several pieces of furniture being stored- Owner now emailing requesting multiple property inspections throughout the lease cycle- Owner questioning my experience and relative PM knowledge because I'm not following up with her in a timely manner (the following day after the work order)Keep in mind, this is 2 weeks after the tenants had moved in and the tenants are very happy in the home.This is something we see on a regular basis.

Quote from @Fernando Martin-Gullans: Hey y’all, I’m a retail investor with 2 SFH rentals worth a combined ~$650k looking to utilize some of my stored equity to buy more out-of-state properties, but I’m not quite sure how best to proceed given that my interest rates are incredibly low (leaning me away from refinancing) and neither property is owner-occupied (which I believe prevents me from using a HELOC).

Unkempt lawns, trashy or broken down vehicles, mattresses and trash on empty lots, boarded up houses, bars on windows, dealers and hookers on the corners, the lack of stores or gas stations, occupied properties are dilapidated, etc.Or when Google maps shows stuff like this:

They are always leased here even for the corporate stations where they have a convenience store, a Popeyes or the like and a car wash.

I have a 10x8 shed that I use exclusively to store real estate materials and supplies.