For example in a hot area of Houston I have a 30 unit. 20 of them are in a courtyard and 10 face the street.

For example, I've had a couple of 3+ bedrooms sit for a longer period of time because they only had one parking space available (and no on-street options nearby).

I've closed a bunch of loans with Kiavi, Roc, and a few with ABL, I also closed with RCN, Easy Street, Lima One, and some smaller private lenders.I've come to the conclusion that the experience at the lender is not globally good or globally bad. 

There have definitely been some upgrades in the park itself and there were some new restaurants/hotels and they did try to make the streets nicer. 

Quote from @Tannia Castro: I would say the key would be to narrow in on an area (this could be a city if you are not from that area and investing remotely), or this could be a part of the city (some local streets) if it is in your backyard.

However, if you don't know the layout here, it's best to get with those that do as properties change street by street and sometimes even on the same street.

So, I talked to the current tenant got her bills (I knew how much they would be roughly since I had a rental up the street I was remodeling to get on the market).

At yet another sale there was a brick row house/town house for sale that looked good from the street, but since it was in the middle of the row, to see the back of the house, you had to walk around the block and see the house from the alley, where the entire 3 story brick back wall of the house was laying in the back yard, and there was no back wall standing. 

Call the mechanic or gas station up the street and ask the owners if they know someone.

Make sure the property has street appeal.