I know dozens of investors that have never seen the house or let alone been to the city.

Even with only a dozen properties I save several thousand per year for having zero claims in the last 10 years, I save another another few thousand for having deductibles between $2500 and $5,000. 

@Emily Lien There are different ways to assess a deal but it's clear this property doesn't cash-flow (today).

Only having the social security and the rental income may be enough but each lender will assess that differently.

Cindy,If the duplex is owner occupied there are dozens of quality Insurance companies that write a Homeowners policy for an owner occupied 2 family. 

I know this seems elementary but, in a normal year / normal life we maybe go to a dozen houses or less if you think about it, family, friends - we don’t just show up at a ton of properties…but in Real Estate, you need to begin to notice what makes one type of property different or similar to another so you can “Comp” properties.  2.  

And often that agent "told you so" because you found an equally novice agent who has "as much as" how ever many dozen months of R.E. experience, part time, between there day job, ie "the blind leading the blind". 

This would include dozens of things that we do when vetting our investments.

Furthermore, I would also suggest scheduling a structural engineer to assess the frame and foundation of the property.

Hi all - what do others do when assessing a smaller property (< 0.5 acre) that has multiple standalone structures that could be rented separately but they do not have great separation for privacy?