Through that process I found out that there are a decent amount of properties that just have "Band-Aids" over issues and to the untrained eye it looks just fine.

@Alex Smith Hey bud just read through this forum and you will find the answers to your questions :) Narrow it down to some specifics and then ask again!

We are narrowing down to a select few for the in person showing in order to limit traffic exposure but if all things being equal (background check, credit check, personal connection, etc.) would it be proper etiquette/legal/ethical/moral to do/allow for a bidding war as we have all frequently seen during high demand home purchases?   

NMHC’s rent collection data indicates that Class A is doing better than B, and that Class C is doing the worst (although the spread between the three is not dramatic).

I joined them all in my area, and narrowed down to just one, the one with the most experts willing to help.  

If you're going to borrow $ get approved so you know how much you can afford; Narrow down the neighborhoods that are attractive to you from a living & price perspective; hire an agent & start making offers.

So far I have used Census.Gov to gather general info on income, demographics, education etc. about potential areas, but the information here is too broad and doesn't narrow in deep enough to assess areas that are more speculative or transitional.

Narrow down the size of investment you can do. 

Either way figuring out financing can help you decide which area you want to narrow in on and begin to deal hunt.

I would narrow down what you are looking for and then start having conversations with some locals.