I read all the documents shared with me (from brokers, general contractors, syndicators etc.) and I found it isn't rocket science.

I think it's a really fascinating idea.

That means something in the hard sciences, business, law, medicine, computers, etc. 

There's definitely a science to it that should be honed and perfected as much as realistically possible.

There is a lot of science out there showing how bad that particular chemical is.

Has anyone gotten a degree in Residential Property Management from a community college?

i.e. if your basis is only half the purchase price (minus land) then assume your will get accelerated depreciation on roughly half of what it would have been, not an exact science but you get the idea.   

Yes, it takes some knowledge to understand what to look for in doing your own "inspection" before you write the offer, but it really is not rocket science... in time, and with enough experience, any layperson (i.e. non-construction professional) can learn enough to do his or her own legwork upfront.

You can search flip properties using the search filters on sites like Zillow or Redfin and get a sense for what finishes are being used, how long different designs last on market and what flipped homes are selling for.Design is much more art than science.

I've also had my Property Managers do them for properties they manage, and I paid an appraiser once to do an out of state property.It's not really rocket science if you perform reasonable due diligence efforts.