As for the inspection, if you want the best deal, you have to be able to offer without a inspection contingency, Personally, I understand construction, and give it a look over, and roll the dice, my value gap is always wide enough if I miss something.

When I encounter a wide range of Comps, I take the Sales Price and divide it by the total square footage of Living Space that provides me the price per square foot, for each Comp.

While I have rentals as well I also work for a large insurance brokerage who has a program for multi family and single family rentals that is nation wide.

BP throws the gates wide open and welcomes all down that path, while gurus and the like see value in controlling who skips down their path of golden bricks.

My aim is to "go wide" buy refinancing mine and buying more, and then I aim to "go deep" by using a debt snowball to pay them off.  10 houses free and clear will produce a nice income.I bought a condo in Glendale, way back in the beginning of my real estate days. 

(it is actually widely used in organic gardening for this purpose)I just put small bowls in the dirt at ground level filled about 3/4 with beer (they seem to like it all, so cheap swill works fine).

Other areas can vary widely.

QB has a wide variety, most accountants are familiar with them to so it's easy transition.

Funding hasn't come about so I decided to pay cash for a fixer upper as close to Chicago as possible (in Chicago the homes in my price range were in gang areas)I found a gem I believe in Gary and I'll be closing on it this week. 30 min from my business in Chicago. 1,000sf home on a 1950sf plot.3 bed 2 bath wit not 1 but (2) Two car Garages along with wide side driveway.

The history and concepts haven't changed, but there have been some major industry-wide changes since then.