(FYI, We are trying to build a small (5 to 6 properties), high quality portfolio in the next 5 years, planning on putting 25-30% down)The investment opportunity in question is a new build, single-family home with a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom layout, accompanied by a 2-car garage, located in the neighborhood of Wesley Chapel, FL.

If you do paint, as others have said, prep is king, sand, tack rag dust off, good coat of primer and good quality paint 2 coats. 

I second one large room and a very good quality pull out couch.

After an entire month of not being able to get ahold of him this summer, I contacted another roofer who said it was poor quality all around.

But the PM will blame the quality of work from the turnkey folks. 

That plumbing bill or new appliance will generally cost the same, so higher R&M reserves, as a percentage of rent, are needed in lower quality/lower rent assets, too.

Intrinsic quality, instinct, seeing possibilities all are critical to success.

Hoping these qualities can help me in the long run!

Mapping and GIS are great too, but we'll stick to the nuts and bolts here.My question is, with regard to providing high quality, investment-savvy title research, do you also make a habit of jumping down to City Hall or another series of municipal buildings to check for zoning, permitting, and utility issues in addition to your courthouse work?

While masterminds can be beneficial, they can also be expensive and vary greatly in quality.