I was drawn to this investment mainly to test out the new padsplit model.

My 2 cents is right there with the other guy, get into something on your own first to test the waters and know what it’s like to actually buy and do some work.

However if you plan on buying 3-4units, there is a trigger rule for FHA, it is called the self sufficiency test.

Let the tenants know you are doing this, so they can hopefully not use water while you're testing things.

Landlords can enter a tenant's property for a variety of reasons, including: Making repairs or replacements Responding to a tenant's request Removing unauthorized window coverings Preventing waste of utilities Changing filters, testing, or replacing smoke detector batteries Inspections Helping with an emergency inside the unit Posting a notice of eviction"Research your state laws because some of your comments indicate a lack of understanding of the landlord/tenant laws where you are operating (like threatening the tenants to keep the security deposit if they don't respond to you, I doubt that is actually a valid reason to keep their deposit, or evicting for late payments, or charging the tenants for your warranty repairs because you missed your 11 month inspection window which was your responsibility, and it looks like your lease says you can charge up to 18% interest for unpaid fees, is that actually legal?).

They can test even the sharpest investors.Another buddy of mine, who’s based in Austin, had a client that found herself caught off-guard by a last-minute inspection delay on her Oregon property.. from what I’ve heard in Forbes, the local market’s short supply of exchange-worthy replacements didn’t help either.

Awesome to hear you have a specific date picked out to take the test! 

test.

In that situation I purchased a SF property 4 hours away from me this year as a fix-n-flip and to test the hypothesis that long distance fix-n-flips could be viable investments. 

As you speak with prospective guests, just ask them and do some QA testing.