If the mechanicals and plumbing are handy I bet you could finish the basement for $30 per s.f. 

I also don't want all of the mechanicals to be old because on single family homes capex can destroy years of cash flow since the margins are tighter.

In fact, I am too afraid to start, but I would like to get going and jump on the train of real estate.A Little about me, I have a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering and a masters in Engineering Management.

I get things that break, dishwashers, disposals, clogged drains, toilets, showers.I'm looking for a mechanism that would decrease the "This house is 30 years old" work orders.

From there your due diligence would be the same for any other house such as roof and mechanicals and then run the numbers.

In Texas,  only IRS, Child support, mechanics liens(only if it had to do with that property) and a few other would attach due to our homestead protections

"Fix handle on rear bedroom $56.00""Replace mechanisms in lower bathroom toilet by qualified certified plumber $235.00""........."

Keep going till you fill all units.There's plenty of other important mechanics of landlording, but you can figure out the other stuff as you go. 

The mechanism is that she will do a 1031 exchange and take $250K in boot. 

This is for architectural work only, and does not include the work of the other consultants (structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, etc.).So without having any other information but these several sentences from this architect, what is the best way to evaluate the offer from an architect?