Is it worth diving into a full bathroom/kitchen gut (unpermitted/handyman not of my choice) possibly revealing more issues or just paint, new cabinet pulls, switches/outlets, lights, etc?

Will you need to do anything to the unit to increase the rents to at or above market rents? 

Real estate investor newbie here. I live in CA and am looking to invest out-of-state in a SFH to rent long-term. I've been trying to decide between Henderson NV, Tuscon AZ, Albuquerque NM, and maybe El Paso TX. I'm in...

Yes, I know that in 10 years the houses will be worth more and will cashflow more, but that can apply to almost any investment, especially since the FED only knows how to print money. 

Which I have done. it. all.To top that all off, the insurance company made me put a new roof on both structures (I think the roof had a bit of life left in it, but ok) - another $11k - and the main house needs around $6k worth of electrical that the previous owner didn't do properly ("fully remodeled" my ***).

Increased rents on first floor and moved into top floor.

And by the way your balance increases with non payment. 

All of those things, unfortunately, increase during a recession, providing a safer base case for self-storage than some other assets.

If you need to be local to NJ I would stay and reap the benefits of massive rent increases along with huge appreciation. 

In an era marked by rapid changes in the commercial real estate (CRE) market, investors and property managers are increasingly seeking ways to future-proof their investments.