Not sure if it made a difference but I gave my realtor a bunch of printed comps to hand to the appraiser because I was not able to be there. 

So why was the economy not able to regrow? 

not quite your situation but all that to say there are many times when the city is wrong and they are not able to prove otherwise.  

If she does (did), the renters insurance would pay her additional living expenses if the unit is not able to be occupied under a covered loss. 

Unfortunately, some people used this type of loan to buy a house they couldn't afford; when the rate jumped they were not able to make the payment and lost the house.  

I also come across good deals with owners that I am not able to close on  .I recently came across a builder whose (fixed up and ready to go) house I previewed for a potential sale  and  and by the time I could run the comps get back to him he had already (and very proudly so) sold the house for 100K less than the market value !! 

If you're going traditional financing, you better be saving like no other... bank will want 20-25% down payments  + 6 months reserves of total debt, so 6 months payments for all your houses,  that can quickly be a giant number!   

If you are not able to find one in Hawaii then research the market in another U.S. city and purchase there.

Finding a good PM is extremely difficult if you are not able to be present in person to screen them.

I would also start googling the local papers in that area to see what they are saying, is new school being built, is there a notable migration of people into or out of the area.