I know some might disagree.The challenge is if someone applies and meets all your criteria and you reject them, I would hate for you to end up in some legal hot water.

@Philip Beckwith typically in Michigan, you can only do a tax appeal in February.The instructions will be on the back of your winter tax bill.You will need to have great comparables to challenge the City Assessor's valuation.

Some rents in what some define as an A may hold strong values but rents compared to purchase price may not be comparable to a B.

You can also look into building a rental portfolio which is a little less hands off compared to flipping.

Are there any specific areas that are reasonably priced compared to the cities? 

Property prices are lower compared to larger cities, offering the potential for higher returns, while the demand for rentals remains steady thanks to a large student population and growing workforce.

The interior will need to be repaired and repainted.I've done several 1900 - 1920's and while they usually have good bones, the electrical can be underpowered for today's needs, and the water lines can be corroded galvanized or even lead.

The Northeast and Midwest are expected to be less affected by the oversupply compared to the Sun Belt and luxury properties.

Of course the high crime statistics cannot be ignored in these cites, however I'm planning to buy only in the nicer/low crime neighborhoods which hopefully eliminates most of the crime risk.I was wondering if any of you could provide feedback on comparing these 3 cities.

For example, if the roof was "under insured", or if the ground moved below the roof support (I learned recently that  earth movement is not covered under some policies, such as those on the bluffs of Lake Michigan falling into the water).