A house is a product, and like all products some are undesirable.

Also, from what I see, distressed properties are in an undesirable location for me as a single woman.

Look for things that will make it undesirable to future tenants like busy roads, no yard, no parking, quirky layouts, etc. 

I have spent many evenings watching them transform a property from undesirable to gorgeous.

It was making the place undesirable in and of itself.I'm someone who tries to look at the long-term picture. 

Or do the gutter screens cause other issues that make them undesirable?

Having a high threshold for pain as well as dealing with undesirable circumstances (two things all the Jackass guys seem to embrace) no doubt comes in handy as a landlord. 

My mom owns a home in an undesirable area, so I have been attempting to get a HELOC on her home and upgrade her living situation with my first property, then turn her current house into a rental temporarily.

If the apartments are near East Cleveland around the Superior and Mayfield streets then you may want to stay away from those because they are a part of an undesirable area and you may experience high turnover rate.Hope this helps!

South Florida is just to expensiveWas only planning on using an FHA  in florida if I was able to find a MFH local I could buy but even at the top end of $775k allowance I am priced out unless I want to live in very undesirable areas, which I dont want to do as there will be tenant issues plus appreciation in those areas isnt very good.