I like to be as informed as possible with my decisions and since this will be the most financially significant purchase of my life (to date) I definitely want to make sure I perform my due dilligence.Thanks in advance! 

Don't make decisions based on your personal taste or what you would like if you lived there.

Making decisions based on it alone would be a big mistake, which it sounds like you understand. 

Luxury Yacht (with decent expendable income) who owns a 3 year old SFH he rents out at market rate in a class B area to stable renters may make a different decision on what to do with monthly cash inflow than Just starting out on a shoestring and a prayer blue coller worker who owns a 70 year old class C that is overdue for a rehab.That is based on personal ability to meet costs when they come due and the probability that costs will come due.That being said, it's always intelligent to budget for CAPEX using real life numbers vs IRS or guesstimate numbers.You also need money for turns, which includes carrying costs when unoccupied and etc...As well as unexpected costs, such as roof damage, or early appliance failure--such as a refrigerator.Good Luck!

What’s a better sales tactic for properties that you have not talked to the decision maker and you are submitting an offer (ie direct mail/ call)… is it better to assume all the units needs rehab and offer a lower dollar amount off the bat OR not include the rehab cost in your higher offer just to get intrigue from the seller then negotiate the rehab cost and lower the offer later?

Either route you go, just make sure you understand all the terms so you know what the upside and possible downside is of each so you’re able to make an educated decision based on your own circumstances and risk tolerance. 

There is no right answer here, but your decision should be influenced as much by your business plan as it will be by anything else.

Based my decision on the criteria my plan is telling me to follow at that time.There is no one answer fits all. 

Your agent should certainly help and advise when needed, but at the end of the day, you make the final decision.

Not a hard decision, Uncle Sam pays higher than normal profit margins on everything he buys, including rifles, so let's make some freaking M1 Garand rifles baby!