Finally, obtain a professional appraisal post-renovation to accurately determine the new value of your home.

I hire a contractor to do accurate estimate of repairs and they quote $45,000.

Recommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

I think the biggest reason for REI losing money on a property is they lack the ability to accurately analyze Markets. 

Because of that, I don't believe it's necessarily accurate to paint a market picture based on inventory levels aloneIn most circumstances, these lots are still moving if priced correctly, and I can back that up as I've sold multiple of them over the past few months.

Right now the most accurate is Dataskip .io

Seems like it would be best for me to get out of the mindset that I need to get all of my capital back.Perhaps my use of the term "cash flow" was not accurate. 

If my first impression is an accurate depiction what you experience is the cost of doing business there.

Understand what retails properties sell, average prices per sq/ft, types of properties investors are looking for, what rents are, what areas sell the best for investors, what to look for to get accurate rehab estimates, more properties you visit and see in-person the better, and most importantly, dont be lazy! 

Rarely is that effective or provide an accurate depiction of the neighborhood characteristics.