Are you looking to do a cash out refi after the rehab is done?

If you have used them have you used their 24/7 call center?

He is a realtor that I previously purchased a small portfolio from and therefore had a good professional relationship.

Also, real builders/experienced developers will often have a true technician, i.e. a civil engineer, architect, real estate attorney et al at least glance at the property info to make sure there are no major red flags.

I'd love to utilize their expertise when assessing a property since they are local but I'm not sure what the general expectation is when I don't have a tangible property and I have not entered into contract to work with them yet.Some questions I have are: local regulations/permitting timeline, property's potential from their perspective, landscaping/amenities cost estimate (they also help facilitate this).

I have owned a number of residential and commercial rental properties out of state and they have generally been good investments. 

Are you looking at the homes that you make offers on, or having a trusted advisor do so?.

What you do need to have is some revenue. 

There are a lot of great resources here and around the web for people looking to invest in Birmingham.

Don't put a high list price based on what you want, needs to be based on solds