One concern I have is that I would like to have more opportunities to look at homes in person and not just crunching the calculations from afar; to get more precise values/estimations and to see how the property looks overall.

That is precisely why folks would pay $1300 for rent.

Ask if your friend of a friend still has the loan documentation so you can see the precise terms.Andy

The sod basically created a 2 inch lip that would hold water in precisely the wrong area. 

I'm an active investor in Los Angeles and I'm currently negotiating a deal in your neck of the woods, precisely in Springville, CA.

I'm going to have a look at all of these things to learn precisely what they are all about, particularly the distinction between different roofing options.  

David Jenkins Yes that is precisely it, NOI divided by property value, or even sales price if you are comparing properties to one another.

What you mentioned as your strategy is precisely what I've been doing in the market.  

Precisely how that profit is realized is where the specialty comes in.

You can never get a precise estimate by looking at pictures alone but you'll get in the ballpark if you know how much labor and materials tend to run in your area.That's just my 2 cents and I'm sure other people do it differently.