We always send tenants a birthday card and during the holidays we send tenants 2 dinner coupons and a movie ticket and with a hand written thank you card from everyone on the staff.

I'm in the HVAC field by trade, so I am well connected relative to most of the big ticket items I'll be dealing with.

Bigger Pockets is your golden ticket to great success.

I've never bought a house before, and i've never had an income to be able to be picky about my living situation, so i really have no idea what amenities to look for, and even worse, no idea what large ticket items to look for. obviously roof, foundation, electrical, plumbing - but what indicators of those can i actually inspect on my own and be able to see if this house has any major red flags? 

Make sure you have cash flow, $200 a month is usually what is needed to break even over time (in my area), roofs, ac, and other big ticket items only need replaced every 15-20 years, but you need to build a cusion for it.

Believe me, you don't hear about it from the owners during escrow, you hear about it from the tenants after escrow has closed.I do think @Deanna McCormick has the most prudent advice here: book a plane ticket.  

If, however, this person turns out to have little more than speeding tickets in his past, it's probable he got ripped off too.

And make sure you get tickets to a game or two at Fenway and the Garden (even though it's not the ORIGINAL Garden), watch the marathon and see the fireworks from along the Charles on 4th of July.

@Woodward William Beardsley, sounds like a golden ticket "MAY" have landed into your lap.  

That duplex is in Euclid, OH. and you need to replace big ticket items occasionally.