I hired a contractor to do the siding, stone veneer and roof.

I just bought a place in Vegas for a little less than 300k and tax's are 1450.00 a year.. so even though the 1% rule or 2% rule is a little skewed the low taxs  high fico and income level of the tenants here and no weather issues IE stucco house tile roof 10 years old. when you run all the numbers it seems to work OK.. 

Typically, I count on having to replace the roof and windows on every property.

During the process, he started working for a company that sends him to properties to give repair estimates - Windows, roof, flooring, etc.He was trained before going out into the field alone and now has a pretty good grasp on rehab estimates.

New roof What was the outcome?

Roof damaged. 

I live in Salt Lake City and the property prices here have been going through the roof, so I made the decision to find a lower priced market to invest in. 

My capex budget includes but not limited to: roof 25 year life span, floors 10 year life span, appliances and hot water heater 12 year life span, hvac 20 year life span, kitchen and bath remodel 20 year life spa, etc.

Being that I haven’t done anything with taxes yet, can I count items from previous years (i.e. new roof, insulation, electrical)?

Metal roofs and brick construction cost you less over time than asphalt and vinyl.