I've been narrowing down new cities that I'd like to invest in with a group of people and we've been going the normal route of collecting data through government sites but it's time consuming. 

On top of the cash flow you have the loan pay down, depreciation, and if you buy right the property increases in value. 

Mentors are invaluable, but most don't need the money and if they do, they shouldn't be your mentor, what they want is a benefit from helping someone with potential.

Education and data are available freely for anybody that wants to put in the time.   

Honestly, I used the BP rent calculator, rules of thumb for variable expenses, and data from Rentometer.com, to get these numbers.

@Nikita Odnoralov Connect with a local investor/agent and get real time data form them onn similar units & always take airdna with a grain of salt.

We lost money the first two years but the lessons we learned were invaluable and now it cashflows a solid $200 a month and has appreciated over 75k.

If you bring a camera you can save a ton of time by taking pictures of the documents and sorting through them later and inputting the data onto a spreadsheet. 

There is also a Maryland-wide lead inspection that is required for any property built before 1978, but that applies anywhere in MD, not just Baltimore.There is a very active investor community in Baltimore that I've found invaluable (especially as an outsider trying to learn the city).

Your job sits where the new purchase is owner occupied, you have a lease and deposit for the old house, you are going up in value.