Ask for financials on the properties for the last two years and start poking holes in the numbers.I don't know a damn thing about commercial real estate, but like everything else, getting to a point where the data you are looking at is close to reality is the first step.Good Luck!

Imho...Mark Twain phrased it well (quoting Benjamin Disraeli): "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics"!

@John Smyth, depends on a lot of factors, but shouldn't be longer than a few days, unless there are outstanding circumstances.

Outstanding liens should always be recorded.

@Jay Hinrichs Damn, that was a good answer for the average investor like me.  

Did you collect any outstanding security deposit from the previous owner?

There is a local primary school (West Hill Primary) and a secondary school in Ottery (Kings School) with both schools rated as "outstanding" by Ofstead.

I have invested a couple times at near market highs and those properties depreciated in the short-term (implied by invested near market high) but today look to be outstanding investments. 

We bought our first SFR last year (a 2-1,1930s craftsman style) and have had it rented to outstanding tenants for over a year.  

They look awesome and are damn near indestructible.