I would imagine your customers would be developers with weak/no zoning experience but if that was the case... why wouldn’t they invest in less complicated forms of RE? 

The stuff is great, and has survived some abuse, but it's weakness is water. 

Future advice if you go this route (this is sorta what my partner did in a smaller sense): Pay down what you can to build up so you can off-set that 100% financing, fix it up and from day one, think of ways to increase the equity in it, keep your eye on the comps throughout the process so you know how to make yours comp out strongly, and when you get close to that year/two, talk to your agent about those comps and see where your strengths and weaknesses are.

I honestly just need to get over my fear of the phone as that is my one major weakness to pick up the phone and call, but I am also not in this stage of where i can hire someone or outsource for calls. 

I feel that knowing all the players, what their needs are, and who is in positions of weakness or strength are the best ways to spot opportunity. 

And if the real estate market crashed because of economic weakness, are you still going to have that stable job to allow you to qualify for a loan?

Make those improvements in the weak areas and learn all aspects of the business.  

I never, ever give money to contractors upfront but had a moment of overload/weakness/temporary insanity and wrote a check (luckily less than the one you wrote).

It is a very middle class neighborhood, and my asking rent is $3150, which is roughtly $400 below market...Got several applicaitons after the first open house, mostly pretty weak that I will have to pass...

You said the properties need little to no work done so that kind of rules out a value add play where you could suck up a weak cash flow until you cut expense/increased profits.