IMO it's worth every penny.Want to know an even better and more efficient way to generate leads without cold calling?

Who is going to go to homes and ensure they have been winterized? 

In the long run, real estate is generally going to be a good investment, so just make sure the first deal is not going to undo you financially by ensuring to look at the worst case scenarios. 

Ensure your criteria is well communicated to avoid being accused of discrimination.

Whenever you are buying a property out of state you should do a few things to ensure it's as smooth as possible.Don't buy in the roughest neighborhood in the urban core.

However, please double check your Reno costs to ensure that they are accurate, and always plan for a generous 10% contingency. numbers off here can screw the entire deal.

Ensure you aren't going to broad in what you're looking for and get laser focused on what you want.

He pays for the heat, so I won't benefit from the efficiency. $2k + labor is the approx. cost.

For me personally, I have learned to not sink any capital into systems until I need to make them more efficient and I know the direction I am going in.

I might add, though I don't currently have any REI, that after looking in the northwest area of Chicago for the past 5-6 months it would be wise to truly ensure that no serious CapEx will be coming your way.  455k seems on the cheaper side a for a full legal 3 unit in Dunning that is turnkey.