I reccomend any of the BP books for building basic knowledge base - they're all easy to follow and have actionable steps.

The reason I can save so much is because I have a large storage space in the back of one of my buildings (that my PM co rents from my bldg entity, of course) full of basically everything I need to keep me going. 

What is the income, how much work it needs, what he wants for it, etc.You just need to discuss the basics, and figure out whether or not it will work for you. 

My plans are to sell my 2nd house (where my dad lives ) and move him closer to me. 15 minute drive beats a 90 minute drive.

Also 2-4 unit BRRRR's.I'm using MyREIPro.com for list generation and to send out the direct mail and like it so far.List generation: I either do Absentee Owners with >50% equity OR drive for dollars and lookup the owner's contact info. 

Then I'm using the 1% rule as a very basic guideline as I compare listing price to potential rent. 

By walking the property inside and out, I feel I can answer basic questions like, "Do you have washer and dryer connections". 

Basically find close houses, with similar bed/bath count, SF and amenities that have sold within the past 6 months (sometimes you can go to 12 months) and figure out how your home compares.

Of course, just driving areas can not paint the entire picture.(1) Morrow Small neighborhood feel.

That gets you basically paint and flooring, probably less