In my experience with distressed properties its nearly impossible to learn this without skin in the game and getting your hands dirty.

I find investors often want the agent to find off-market properties and to go the extra mile without any skin in the game from the investor-buyer. 

You will be hard pressed to find an investor (who you do not already personally know) who is willing to be your 100% financial backer when you don't have any experience or skin in the game.

@Patrick Shaw if your mental health is at stake find another place (without snakes) and face the music if there is any to be faced.

Army ants will reduce a healthy predator to a skeleton in minutes. 

I am a young developer and my company Nu Range Development seeks to redevelop existing properties into sustainable structures as well as build from the ground up some of the most healthy eco-conscious forward thinking structures on the planet.

This is how you can tell if it’s a healthy rent roll.

Taking a healthy security deposit, and starting the eviction process quickly if they don't pay.

You can use the cash proceeds to buy anything you want, but getting a bank to lend to you when you aren't putting any skin in the game is much much tougher.We used our heloc to buy and rehab a propety "cash" and then refinanced at the end of it.

So even if appreciation were slow significantly, A. the loan amounts are still not upside down and B.the buyers have a lot more skin in the game from their savings so they are going to be more motivated to not just walk away (like what happened in 2008).