My preference is to invest in properties that work for the middle class, not for the wealthy.As others have mentioned, maintain a reserve to handle a big-ticket item like the furnace or three months of vacancy and renovation after a really bad tenant.

Excellent advice, I've read many a story on this website that could have been avoided with a plane ticket and 1 night at a hotel to check a place out. 

There is some other entertainment value to the story value...season tickets went up thousands, jerseys doubled...it has got to be more than just basic t-shirts, hotels rooms, airbnb double?

I feel that the right rental properties would be the ticket for that goal.

Typically such restitution is a one-off, so it's rare to have systematized it... it's like getting so many DUIs and speeding tickets that you have a "system" for handling the penalties. 

What would it take to get some tickets to come see you?

Even if you found a GC that would , all they will do is bump up what they pay their subs , and when they buy materials at the supply house the invoice will be retail their discount will be on another ticket .  

You are about as likely to get a good house for just the taxes as you are to buy one lottery ticket and win a Million dollars.

And of course your area may be different in terms of cost and also some jobs don't require a full cosmetic renovation, but most of mine have.Then of course check the big ticket items like HVAC, roof, exterior siding/masonry repair, windows, interior sheetrock replacement, foundation and water heater and know approximately what it will cost to fix/replace each if warranted.  

The inspection report noted a few potential big ticket issues with the house. 1.