I have a BA in Environmental Studies and an MBA with a focus on sustainable/green business.

If they can't - it does not mean they are bad or even not a good company, it just means that you have your own style and standards and going to only do deals where you are 100% comfortable.I think your decision was a good one if you were not comfortable and you learned a no-cost lesson in some questions to ask and comments to tell other companies before you go under contract.  

Everyone has their own style of learning about a new market.

Remember this, you are completely changing the management style of this building so it's not likely that they will mesh well with your new approach.

This style of "investing" was very popular in India between early 2000s to '07-08.

I decided to go into rehabbing homes because that fits more my style plus I like the challenge of taking an ugly house and making it better for everyone involvedI want to tell you that I have known a Real Estate agent and he is like a faraway friend, (you know a friend of a friends but he's also your friend but not close) So anyway, to my surprise he has been finding homes and assisting some rehabbers in my neck of the woods.

Is the style old when your buyer wants new designs.  

We recently started playing board games again as adults and found there is a whole world of European (or Euro) style board games that are a lot more fun and sophisticated without being too complex.  

If you're a new investor with limited funds, you're best bet is to find the lower price point counties in the DC area and focus there- Prince George's County, Waldorf, Anne Arundel, Montgomery (certain areas), Baltimore, etc (really most of Southern MD is pretty decent)Trying to go into the District itself as a new investor can certainly be done, but a) prices are going to be higher than surrounding areas so for the same amount of money to spend you're going to do less houses, and b) it's harder to comp properties- DC property values can often vary block by block, proximity to metro station matters, finishes matter, whether or not they've 'dug out' the basement to increase ceiling height matters, the exterior style of property- federal, victorian, etc matters.  

Thanks for your question.. here is what is happening...At this stage of the development project, I need the insights of several professionals, geotechnical engineer, environmental impact assessment analyst, lawyer, architect, general contractors, real estate consultant etc.