It worked well for me because I was a busy running a business and my local market was not good for passive cash flowing REI, as prices were too high compared to rents.Yes you do own the property. 

And when developing a parcel from the ground up, investors take on more types of risk than just the construction risk.

Otherwise, I fear the only way to do this is wait till land in Atlanta and the "right" property pops up in the 4-5 days we are "on the ground"; Also read several books that address this topic (David Greene and others) thanks in advance, Stephen

I plan to own my own properties and want to understand what types of things most property managers do and focus on so I can hit the ground running.

@Brittany SimmsIt is always best to do your research before you go look at the property so you know exactly what you can offer and back that up with comparable properties and market data. 

If there is no easement, then he has no grounds to stand on.

We plan to do some pretty extensive rehab and add some additional ground up units. 

@Brian Pulaski maybe a trip to home depot is in order to pick out the floor you want then walk over to the stains and compare colors.

Positive Ground Electric. 

The increase is from $50/unit due to the "Clean water Atlanta" project, which mirrors the numbers you mentioned.They compare Atlanta to NY, and if my tenant's usage approached the average usage, I'll be paying almost as much as you.