Everything is functional but some items older ("near the end of their physical life expectancy") but working.

Whether or not you're happy really depends on where you are mentally and not where you are physically though.

i havent done alot of this sort of research, BUT i have found if you contact the tax collector in each county they can tell you over the phone all info about the offering. also many tax collector have a site called a parcel veiwer where u can put in either the appraisers parcel # ( apn) or the "situs" address (actual physical address) these are usually free or pretty low cost also theres an app landglide thats really good and pretty inexpensive. hope it helps best of luck.

@Renee HarrisThose forms your interested in (Petition for Probate, Letters of Administration/Testamentary, Order for Probate, etc,.) your going to have to physically go to the county courthouse (where the probate file your interested in) to view.

Consider that I'll be in SF and won't physically be able to check in on the property (maybe once every 3-4 months).

It might be the best place for cash flow that you can physically drive to, but I'd say that its definitely not the best place in the country for ROI on your money right now. 

Like physically transporting it to another location?  

It is good work, somewhat cyclical, and very demanding physically.

I've frequently heard about investors organizing all information about their properties in a bunch of (paper) folders and there's probably no way around keeping physical copies like that, however I was looking more for a general "How am I doing/Where am I at" overview.Any hints appreciated!

Do the credit/ background check on these officers.Down the road, next issue will be that you may not really know who physically resides.