I created a big spreadsheet, and find lending data goes stale every few months as rates and terms change. 

For STRs... what's the best way to gather the data on utilities, pest control, pool cleaning, general maintenance, etc...?

Terry Burger a close friend and associate of mine is a self-proclaimed data geek and his super power is understanding the retail consumer and how to find opportunities in current data trends.

Use the calculators that are here on BP . . .they are invaluable in sizing up deals and comparing them . . . the ""other costs" as Matt mentioned will often shock newcomers and can turn a  good deal into a "run away fast" type of deal.Call a slew of lenders as you will find points, processing fees, underwriting fees, attorney fees . . .and the list goes on to vary a great deal.  

They need to be able to trade equal or up in value to satisfy their 1031 Exchange reinvestment requirement. 

Both were/are live in flips that get reappraised around October once the flips are done and the market has received all the data it needs to value them.

Analysis, Analysis, Analysis- Make your decisions based on data, not hunches (unless you have some kind of inside information). 95% of the time you will be able to find market data to support or not support an investment.

What criteria do you look for, and where do you obtain that data?

The sellers market is cooling off a bit and we will be seeing data coming in from evictions/foreclosures in very near future.

The problem with pointing a finger is a) at the decision making of a government entity who will have their own rules posted b) how long a time frame from close to the zone change and how long was vacant... c) what is the difference in value?