If you are a long term buy and hold investor, I would look at where the growth is happening....buy in the areas of high growth....as Ross Perot used to say, you want to make a billion in real estate, buy in the path of progress....and he and now his family did quite well with this idea.Austin prices are super high, but seem to be going higher. 

I'm trying to evaluate the neighborhood for reliability and if you will an overall crime to rentability ratio. 

But regarding improvements that increase the value of a property they are "capital expenses" they should not show up in any evaluation of profit and loss (income and expenses).

I think it would be great to track goals and progress plus allow us to be accountable to certain metrics.

We can help with the purchase no problem, it's the part after closing: organizing any type of work is difficult, if you are not physically there to meet people, organize stuff and check on progress, let alone coordinate between different traits.

I am evaluating a STR in a non-established STR market. 

Sounds like you're making great progress early on. 

I think if we get close enough to finishing and show good progress over the next month, I can’t see the bank being unwilling to extend, especially with paying the fee they set.

I am in need of a structural engineer urgently to evaluate some cracks on a multifamily home in Jersey City.

Mind you, if they are looking to invest, they would need to see how many homes they would be able to place on the lots and get the soil evaluated for septic systems after zoning consultation.