As long as they are computerized and can follow depreciation schedules for each property and each upgrade depreciation schedule ( different useful life for carpet vs. appliances, etc), and know federal and state laws as to what to deduct, and strategies to minimize taxes going forward - you should be fine.

Go with a good shingle and ice and water shield.Then ask the tenants which side of the building they see at the worst and do those windows first.

After the inspection on saturday was finally completed, i recognized the need to get estimates on a new roof because of granule loss and missing asphault shingles.

Maybe a little low - however since we are building and I know the quality of materials we are using I have a good handle on how long they will last/cost to replace etc.If they are new builds I think most of what you would put there depends on the quality of materials used, quality of construction and the types of things that will start to wear out first based on your weather etc.Roofing, siding/windows, water heaters, appliances, exterior paint, etc are what I would foresee needing attention and the largest expenditures as time moves on (and for those of us in hail prone areas  - the random damaging hail storm)If I follow the new construction route for an extended period of time I'd plan on selling around the 10-15 year mark so I avoid the maintenance issues that will likely start popping up around then.We will use SmartSiding which has a 50 yr warranty, Smart trim and if my partner can get a hookup on some discount or odd lot Class IV impact resistant shingles we'll be using those on the roof.  

The most common materials which contain asbestos are drywall joint compound, sheet vinyl flooring (not linoleum), vinyl floor tile, floor tile, mirror, and other mastics, window putty, pipe, tank, and boiler insulation, HVAC duct insulation, asbestos-cement flues, asbestos-cement shingles (roof or wall), acoustic ceiling texture, stucco, roofing materials, and even sound insulation on steel sink bottoms.

I highly doubt the money holding company is giving lie detector tests and there is no way a basic criminal background check, which is all computerized, is as expensive as an Special Agent going out and doing interviews, collecting documents, assessing information, creating and typing reports, etc. etc.

We've been told by a couple of roofers that it's at the end of it's life and they could attempt a patch, but the shingles are so brittle that one patch might lead to another which leads to another and so on.

I'm told it only costs $1.5-3k to put new shingles on a roof.

Everything is computerized, and many agencies cross reference information.

You might be able to apply a class-2 waterproof membrane to the top-side of the roof deck before laying the roofing (shingle, steel, etc) to ensure the roof deck never becomes wet - unfortunately, this opportunity seldom presents itself in a renovation.