No experience was without merit.Yet if I was going to pinpoint it on a certain area, I'd say Partnerships and relationships are what make millionaires. 

They will give you an outline of the process and be able to pinpoint any obvious reflags.

I can't really speak for Cincinnati, but growing up in Cleveland and owning rentals and flips here, I've got some solid local insight.We can certainly pinpoint a few areas that lean toward cash flow opportunities.

Additionally, their professional staff pin point the most viable neighborhoods for both optimum rental income and home equity growth, partner you with experienced local real estate experts and once you take ownership of your chosen property, they take care of everything from furnishings to placing quality tenants to hands on property management.  

You need to pinpoint the source. 

Other than that it has laminate counter tops, golden oak cabinets, brass fixtures, 4 inch white tile baths, you get the idea... 2001.Based on my research of comps on rentals.com it is very obvious that there is a line somewhere of diminishing returns when updating a rental, but I haven't been able to exactly pinpoint it yet.

That is where the doctor and testing hopefully can pin point the cause.In the case of a building, a structural engineer may be able to help you out if you or your inspector suspect that there may be a structural defect.I would suggest that you have an experienced investor friendly structural engineer on your team to help you diagnose possible structural defects that you may suspect.This may sound like a lot but from my experience, most single and multi-family residences do not exhibit symptoms of structural distress.If you do find a property that you are interested in and it appears to have some hidden defects, this may be a great opportunity to negotiate a good deal.

I know I can go about buying lists, but how do I navigate the public records to pinpoint motivated sellers?

Im my case I have not yet pinpointed a specific property/deal.

Leak detectors use sonar (I think that's what it's called) to pinpoint the leaks.