You can visit the property, contractors, etc where as Detroit will either involve longer travel or trusting someone on the ground when you arent physically there.

So if there is any kind of physical harm to the tenant say due to slipping on the stairs etc. the tenants renter insurance will cover the medical cost.

Does physically going to downtown reveal more info than the Cook County Circuit court website?

As I've witnessed, rebranding can make a significant difference in the success of a property, even if the physical appearance remains the same.By charging appropriate fees, exploring additional income sources, and undertaking property rebranding efforts, real estate investors can unlock the full potential of their investments.

Not sure if that is physically or financially feasible to you.

Here's how I do my due diligence:1) Portfolio matching: (takes 30 seconds per deal)a) Have an educated opinion on where I think we are in the real estate cycles (financial and physical market cycles)b) Then and only then do I pick the strategies, capital stack, and specialized asset subclasses that make sense for that opinion.

Short-term maybe short it, for the reasons you mentioned OP but this investment is a physical long-term one so you analyze it appropriately. 

Since you're a citizen but you live and work abroad you'd still qualify mostly for second homes occupancy or investor non owner occupancy (primary is hard to claim if your job requires you to be physically next to the office as an example so an underwriter isnt going to readily believe you unless you can get HR to write you a letter to state you're remotely capable of earning this income/job duties anywhere).Hopefully that helps let me know if you have further questions into mortgage planning.

Also, note that it is hard to accurately judge an area from afar based on exterior physical characteristics.

Even new machines can experience issues, and when those issues mean that water is leaking all over your laundromat, you’re going to want to respond to that quickly.It may not be that your laundromat requires that many hours in a week of actual work, but the times your laundromat will demand your attention can often happen unexpectedly.In a typical week, we would work 7-10 hours on our laundromat, either being there physically or working remotely.