My approach is when there is that much unreliable information, I either call it a day and walk since I have no idea what comes next or I negotiate to a super deal so that whatever I haven't been told can be taken care of.  

OP look at your buy box, REI strategy and approach. 

Starting with multi-family rentals and house flipping is a smart approach, and taking the time to learn is a wise move to avoid costly pitfalls.

That may not be the best strategy given the cost of getting an MTR set up, so here is another approach.

Lucky for you, your own backyard is an excellent (and often overlooked) place to begin investing, thanks in part to Tuscaloosa’s proximity to Birmingham, UA’s steady enrollment growth, and the market’s favorable rent-to-price ratio.As for your comment about BRRRR, you’re right that it’s definitely one of the more time- and labor-intensive approaches.

Two, (not mutually exclusive) approach’s.  

I’m curious, when you’re entering a new market, what’s your approach to starting those in-person connections?

Sounds like I am going to have to do some further research on how to investigate past evictions since it seems there's no catch-all approach.

So- in your approach, I would not mention that at all.

There're some alternative planning approaches, but they are always case-by-case.