Day night and all in between looking for ANYTHING that could be a red flag (gangbangers, graffiti, broken windows etc) When I see kids riding bikes, fruit vendors on the corner, you know its not super terrible. 

Also, better properties in a B class neighborhood with B class tenants means less headaches and stress that keep you up at night when you’re hundreds of miles away.

The first numbers came in last night, and they are only about 5-10K more than the original quote, so that's tolerable.

You need to do whatever helps you sleep better at night, but just keep in mind that "liabilty" is a word some contractors use to get fatter paycheck. 

@Anthony Angotti Thanks for that advice, I plan on diving into this all head first and networking as much as possible.

Do I need to a "deep dive" title search done?

@Robert Palladino I talked to my contractor last night and he said that a 14’ wide lot should net 13’ wide brick to brick inside dimensions just like the house he’s renovating now. 

My portfolio consisted of 8 7-50unit associations and I usually had to work a several nights per week and a few hours on the weekend to keep up.  

If you are looking to dive in REI then after education and networking, make and save money. 

If you are considering Baltimore to house hack, find a mentor or an agent to identify areas, also decide your comfort level, definitely drive around and see yourself before you buy it in the morning and at night.