Perhaps that's just me.Eventually, though, once you've got more than two properties available at once, you'll find having someone physically present to show each one simply doesn't work.

Neighborhoods are different from one to another, pictures are different on the internet compared to seeing the property in person and numbers on paper are going to be different from what you can physically evaluate.Once you know the market, have a real estate agent that you trust and a property manager that has good recommendations and that you trust it is much easier to purchase sight unseen.Have a few property managers go look at the property and have them provide feedback. 

One silver lining, maybe, is that if you get the variance and get to the permitting phase, you might not need to physically change anything.

That said, try to network with as many physically available investors as possible, real estate is nice like that investors are everywhere.

For my last couple of deals, because I already know the area well enough and I trusted my team, I don’t need to be there physically to decide if I want to buy that house or not.

Not impossible by any stretch, but there's a lot involved and you should be prepared for $40k in professional fees, $15k in City fees, and $X in physical ROW improvement costs (where $20k < X < $50k).As a data point, I'm completing one project now that was very similar to yours: 4 lots, 25'x150' each, arranged into a single corner parcel. 

One of the paper is about Exclusive Buyer Agency Agreement and one of the paragraphs says:CLIENT'S OBLIGATION FOLLOWING TERMINATION.If Client acquires an interest in any property within 60 days of the expiration or termination of this Agreement, in lieu of the fee provided in paragraph 5, Client shall pay Broker a commission in the amount of 3 percent of sale if that property was physically shown to, or submitted or introduced to Client during the term of this Agreement, through the service of Broker, any other agent, a property owner, or through Client's efforts, and there shall be no discount or allowance for any efforts of any other person(s) or entity(ies).

.- Property in question: 1,496 for $471,000; 1938 ~ $314 per sq ftThe 3 closest comps based off lot size and physical location:- 850 sq ft for $419,500; 1934 ~ $493.52 per sq ft- 832 sq ft for $419,000; 1950 ~ $503.60 per sq ft- 848 sq ft for $355,000; 1920 ~ $418.63 per sq ftSo while our purchasing price per square foot is high (we're paying retail for sure), the comps our agent ran does make it seem like we have room to make a profit on the forced appreciation.

Exercise patience and build a relationship of trust with these potential sellers.

Always find it hard to connect with the physical owner when cold calling parks.