The REO world has several differences compared to retail Real Estate.It is common for the listing agreement of an REO property to have unique or interesting provisions that allow an assigned agent to continue marketing a property as active (even when the seller accepts an offer) until that buyer has performed and the property is sold. 

Honestly, I am looking at cash flow and appreciation as well, I think the RE prices there are very low compared to anywhere else in Southern Ontario and there is a fair amount of room for appreciation.

How do you more seasoned investors go about getting comparable sales data for a potential off market deal? 

They are a great resource at a reasonable price comparatively.

At a very minimum buy your own crummy router instead of paying for theirs over again every year.you can also try adjusting the wifi to use a different channel. search the app store / play store on your phone for wifi analyzer. connect your phone to the wifi analyzer and it will show you the relative strength of your network compared to others in the area causing interference.

Although the average of these 2 areas is around $950, you will clearly be getting very different rents in each of them.The more specific an area (and similar the properties) you can look at to compare rents, the better your estimate will be.

Upper Kensington comparing to "rest" Kensington and Philly generalI have difficulty finding a tenant to an Upper Kensington home that is well maintained (new wood floor etc) and furnished.

@Brook RiemanI think you need to run the numbers and compare to another investment types..

Condo appraisals require comparable  properties outside of your project.

As a fellow west coaster, I understand how difficult it can be to find local returns that compare to some of those found in other parts of the country.My favorite part of your whole strategy ... training up your boys and teaching the next generation ... those memories and lessons are worth more than the paint and plywood.