In the 1950s, 2800 buildings were removed just for the Edsel Ford Expressway (I-94), including jazz nightclubs, churches, community buildings, businesses and homes.[17] The freeways also made commuting from suburban communities a more viable alternative to living in the city limits.The destruction of these neighborhoods with little warning or effort on the part of the city to provide housing assistance was catastrophic for the African American community in Detroit.

After my catastrophic failure I began searching for new investment opportunities.

I basically want to be able to recover - in the event of a catastrophic loss - for at least the purchase price amount + any amount I've put into it up to the point of loss (preferably the ARV if loss occurs after rehab is complete but before it sells).  

In the event of a catastrophic loss, we would only be able to rebuild as duplex which would ruin the cash flow.The sellers then had to go back to the county and petition to obtain a variance.

I am looking for someone to help me along the way with my first, and maybe my second or third properties to make sure I don't make any catastrophic mistakes and to help me learn the area a little better. 

It's a very inexpensive form of education and I'm sure can help me avoid some catastrophes.

On the other hand if and when the catastrophe happens you won't be sorry for having one.What do you think?  

The materials are very cheap and may not be able to withstand major weather catastrophes. 

Most investors won't run with a number like that, as that's catastrophic, but I like basing my deals on worst-case scenario and go up from there. 

you should know whether you are going to sell or hold the property (barring something catastrophic happening) before you pull permits