I've picked up three homes in okay condition all for under 3500 so shoot for that range.

I keep my properties in good condition (I did complete rehabs on some).

There aren't many property conditions that can not be cured, if you have enough money to cure the problem.

Before bidding I want to assess the house's condition.

The surrounding properties and their conditions are the business of those respective owners.

What is the condition of the property? 

The house has to be in " Liveable " conditions , before you can close on the house,Unless the seller is willing to work something out, I.E. put the amount of money needed to get it to pass the FHA's liveable guidelines, by putting the money in an Escrow account ? 

The rest of the work, restoring the property to livable condition you can have a regular contractor do at regular rates. 

From an ROI standpoint, the best ROI items are the things that will take the house from being unable to allow a buyer to qualify for a loan to a house that is in good enough condition to allow the buyer to qualify for a loan.Beyond that, there's not enough information to answer your question. 

And just look at the reply immediately above yours, which repeats the same nonsense.I guarantee no more than three calls to established brokerages are required to list a house in any condition.