After going to the board of equalization to reconsider the value of the property, the came back with a updated assessed value of $8,000 and some change.

I do not have the best reading comprehension.

Condos have a lower price entry point, but many are facing insurance assessments due to rising insurance costs, so that has to be reviewed carefully, but single family homes are seeing the same rate pressure unless very new construction. 

It won’t be possible to assess the damage as wires and wood are behind the wall.

If you didn't buy solely off the fact you needed to 1031, then did tax re-assessment get you?

For assessing demand, go to FurnishedFinder.com/stats and you can see demand data for a given city.When I was trying to determine demand for our area, I selected about 20 listings near the location I was focused on, and tracked them for several months.

I would keep in mind HOA Fees and Assessments.

Do you find there are specific factors beyond taxes and cost balance that you look for when assessing a new market? 

Hard money is typically all about the deal, so if you're bringing in 20% for purchase and covering rehab, you’ll need to assess if the deal can still make sense after those upfront costs.One potential workaround is to look for lenders who might offer 100% rehab financing based on the ARV, or you could consider bringing in a partner to cover some of that 20%. 

What you are looking for is basically "experience" and that is too comprehensive for a post.Most buyers spend very little time finding the right agent because they think they are all the same and it does not matter so much.