I manage dozens of STRs in Columbus and am trying to acquire some buildings for ourself also.

AmirAs a structural engineer I would recommend that your first step is to contact a reputable investor friendly structural engineer to assess the damage and provide some preliminary repair options. 

The caller did not say that I sucked at answering the call, that was my own assessment. 

So just be sure you weigh that risk in to your assessment. 

I wanted to buy more properties but thought that in general for the properties that I was interested in the prices were higher than I would like.There was one white elephant that is assessed for $1,000,000 and was sold for $60,000. 

I am mainly concerned about building my skills at assessing the cost of rehabs.  

I have read dozens of investing and real estate books over the years and even focused my electives in undergrad and my recently completed MBA to learn more about REI.A bit about my REI plan(s)/goals:  I have 1 rental property that I purchased 2 years ago; its located about an hour away that is manged by a PM.

I believe with further research you will find that is in regard for advertisements which offer brokerage services (agency).I'm just telling you, IN TEXAS, where I also live and work with DOZENS of professional investors who are licensed - they do NOT list their broker on ads for buying houses. or for free kittens, or for lemonade, or anything else that is NOT brokerage services.  

@Daniel Sisto  that is my assessment and also the foreign buyer has gotten a very very expensive education at the hands of some pretty tough  marketing companies and not so ethical resellers.

Do you wait until the end of the lease and assess all damage and repair and charge accordingly?