A good commercial architect or residential one that is used to multi-family can do an assessment for you.  

Best advice is to either find an agent you can trust, or get your own license.Good luck and keep us updated on your progress.

Over the last 3 months, I am proud to say that I have made respectable progress in terms of laying a solid foundation for my REI career outside of my long work weeks.

As James mentioned in his response, you should seriously consider becoming a real estate agent.Keep us updated on your progress!

Crime will happen in a major city or any city for that matter, there is no avoiding that, but the type of crime is what you should focus on when assessing the area. 

./ owner name, etc. and get the tax info and assessed value - that's not the problem at all.

But after I assess thier situation and they don't want to sell I do keep in touch either once every 3 to 6 months or yearly with a postcard just saying if things change call me. 

I previously had no construction experience, but have learned a lot, which has really come in handy for assessing potential deals.As far as real estate investing experience goes, I bought a condo in Reno, NV in 2010 cash (I could not obtain credit) which has cash-flowed and appreciated nicely.

Merely land investment for future appreciation in direct path of progress. 

I had Usaa on my primary and called progressive and they dropped it in HALF (for the same replacement cost and coverage).