Before buying or renting in an unfamiliar neighborhood, you should check the following two sites: SpotCrime, AreaVibes,These sites provide valuable information, including Livability Scores, which cover aspects such as crime rates, employment, health, housing, schools, shopping, and more.well, anything can happen anywhere.

Suits from the tux shop.

(Starbucks / yoga studio / craft brewery /boutique cookie,coffe or ice cream shop  are the easiest targets)-Activation of dormant retail sites-Increased foot traffic For B to AAbove also apply-Home valuations (are homes in the increasing at rates above nearby or similar neighborhoods)-Is it walkable or are projects in place to make it highly walkable for residents-Is it near highly desirable activity centers -is it unique (for example - Can it get historic designation)

Grocery stores, day care centers, parks, restaurants, shopping malls, distance to downtown, major highways, etc.

I was thinking I could put down the 50k so he had enough to pay off the heloc and make payments to him for the remainder to be paid off in 10 years with new renters.

I do have a small shop with equipment that I use exclusively in fixing my rentals.   

I do not care if he drives a Chevy, a motorcycle or walks to the shop. 

If you have an older home that requires a lot of maintenance, you probably want to avoid the manager who charges a markup.I recommend shopping around occasionally to see if your PM is procuring fair pricing or just marking you up to make money without justification.As for expectations, you need to read the PM agreement and understand what is charged and why.

I assumed that shopping around for the best interest rate would be good enough.

Plan for the remainder of the year is to start rehabbing again now that I reached my initial goal of $25k per month.