Sorry the female in me went to gem analogies.

Chicago who high taxes and FL as high insurance that is a little hidden to the newbie.

Even in old buildings, there is often hardwood floor hidden underneath the carpets and padding, and it's worth renovating for the long term!

There will likely be a small fee to get it, but it might be worth the state of mind.If they are an owner and you find out after the fact and there are other hidden problems, you'll likely have some pretty good grounds to sue on. 

Any investment you have has to be guarded and nurtured for a good return, I just think real estate has so many hidden benefits.  

The market is a little rough but the gems are out there.

Once the home had a contract the termite inspection found wood rot beneath an exterior door hidden above some insulation in the crawl space (additional expense to the investor).

He was "concerned" about the safety of the public and mentioned hidden cameras.

On a final walk through a couple of weeks ago, on a different property, I got $1500 off for some stucco damage that was hidden behind a door leaning against the wall. 

Maybe there's a mountain somewhere that will let you make good returns, but the one I was looking at (Snowshoe, WV) was a terrible idea, it just took some coaxing to get all the hidden costs out in the open.