I agree with you that things are now global/national thanks to technology, however finding good people to rehab, pm is just as important as a good deal.

You're on the right path though, thinking ahead and getting your systems set up right from the start is really smart, it will save you a ton of headache in the long run!

When buying a property, there are a lot of items that can be deducted at tax time, like property taxes, HOAs, utilities (if you pay them), mortgage interest, and depreciation (based on 27.5 years).If my income puts me in the 28% tax bracket, and those deductible items listed above come out to $10,000 (easy number for math purposes), would I be able to collect an additional $2,800 from the IRS...and would it be smart to include this in your cash on cash ROI calculations for the year?

Coming into town to get a feel for the area before taking the plunge is a smart move.

I'm sure you're smart enough to realize who to give your time to and who not, just like any role in your life.

If you are making offers with no intention of closing a smart agent will realize that and not even give you the time of day

Kim, mold addendum seems like a smart thing to do.

Hey Doug - you are smart to research it now than later. 

Even for two complexes with similar style heating systems, I would imagine costs would vary greatly depending on the age/technology of the heating plant. 

In my opinion it's a smart move to position your capital in a "low-risk" stabilized  asset and getting to know the ins and outs of the business by managing the property for a while.Once you have that experience under your belt you'll be able to chase value-add opportunities using OPM.