Sounds like current owner put a facelift band aid on the property and behind the walls are repairs of epic proportions.The rents at 900 you need to look at tenant seasoning.

Our goal is to narrow them down to a select group that can provide most of the data we require such as economy, job growth, demographics etc.What are your best online tools for researching potential areas to purchase for buy and hold?

They're focus is narrow and their standards are well, not the same as mine.

I think that's a great goal owning a boutique B&B!   And

Any recommendation is it: Banded sings, yellow letters, post cards, and billboards.

So lower band assets are almost everywhere.  

However, if I add too many filters to narrow my search, I'm charged for each one. 

To help narrow that down you can start with the bigger pockets ultimate beginners guide and the podcast.

Hey guys I don't know if I am posting in the right section, but I am a noob in the real estate, still researching but I think i might have narrowed my search down to these two cities now I just need the BP community's expert advice on which city in their opinion is a better real estate play for a SFR long term buy and hold.

Well I the I narrowed down the exact neighborhood and section that I want to invest in. they are single family townhomes.