That said, even with photos, comping homes in Detroit proper is extremely difficult.

The taxes can make things difficult, but there are some things you can do to minimize their impact.  

They may have just paid the entire balance that accrued at one time.

@Cathy Fitzwilliam Initial cashflow is not easy in San Diego, the higher rates make it that much more difficult but it is certainly possible with value add deals.  

It's difficult to find cash flow in these areas.

Quote from @Zachary Deal: One thing to keep in mind if you are doing this is that you are likely to create "functional obsolescence" which could mean you are not able to get a new loan against your property and it can be difficult to resell as well. 

That being said, it's very difficult to get rents to even cover PITI payments at 80% loan-to-value in Utah these days. 

I too believe that economies of scale will will give us more bang for our buck, but since MTR data is fairly new, it was also difficult to analyze the profit potential for a new 4plex.

PadSplit's have been difficult to finance because they are considered modified collateral.

Otherwise, it's very difficult to find a property that is cash flowing well.