.)- Median Rents by Number of Bedrooms- Unemployment Rate- Employment Sectors Percentages - Owner to Renter Ratio- Family and Household SizesThese are just some of the indicators that will help you understand the quality of an area as well as the kinds of returns one is to except.Also take into consideration the direction in which each of these market indicators are trending.

With that said, if your PM says it was an emergency I would not second guess the decision too much unless it is a trend or your are positive it is not.

https://www.multifamilyexecutive.com/business-finance/business-trends/the-top-and-bottom-cities-for-real-estate-investment-in-2019_o

Honestly you could use a calendar and an excel spreadsheet and manage just about anything, so software itself isn't that valuable, but knowing values, comps, trends, etc is extremely valuable.  

Phoenix is a great place to invest and we are forming a team locally to take advantage of all that the city has to offer.I should say now, 75-90k was cheap, now that prices are upwards of 100k a door in the trending areas of Phoenix :) Phoenix is really doing well.As far as travel, I've been out to the properties 1 time.

Setup listing searches to better understand the trends and inventory.

I would be cautious and yes the market has been trending up. 

Print a CMA/comparable report and share with him and explain to them market trends and holiday seasons. 

I agree that real estate is hyper local but demographics trends tend to be in bigger swaths.

Housing pricing to rent ratios aren't so favorable where I live for this kind of investing.A little about me aside from investing; I'm an analyst for a consumer packaged goods company (spreadsheets, statistical analysis, market studies and economic trends are my daily routine.)