@Ashley Martin - those are all blanket stats and good to know, but markets are different neighborhood to neighborhood and sometimes block to block. 

I built half my portfolio in the first two years after I left my full time job to pursue real estate sales, which meant I had no W2 and wasn’t eligible for typical bank financing at the time... just remember with that type of thing, it’s a hurdle, not a road block.

Once you have decided on a home you will also want a professional home inspector to conduct a more thorough review of the home.Below are the most crucial areas of a home that you should look at, should ask questions about and review critically on your first visit to a home.Interior Windows, doors and door framesCeilingsFlooringFireplaceBasementAtticCabinets and countersExterior Color and qualityPorch and deskMaintenanceGutters and roofFoundationDoors and windowsSurroundings Driveways and walkwaysViews and boundariesBushes, trees and grassNeighboring homes and how they are kept and maintained

slumlord is a pretty harsh term, however, let's say-Its a rough neighborhood (some spray paint and busted windows on various bldgs)-A bunch of 2-4plexes on the block-the living conditions of current tenants is bad (partial electricity, no hot water, holes in windows and walls, rats)-some visible mold on a couple walls-doesn't seem to have had any management/maintenance at allOwner hasn't been able to sell for a few years.   

You end up screwing yourselves over so bad and there are tax professionals out there that will charge you an absolute boatload of money to get it fixed.There are an equal number of professionals who will help you file correctly for something way less than a boatload.I have seen SO many F'd up tax returns this year that were completed with TurboTax or by "tax preparers" at Block or Liberty or taxshopinthestripmall and it's just really frustrating to watch people do their taxes with a shotgun.Do it right or don't do it at all.

It can be ugly as sin in a place that I would never want to live in....horrible layout.... ugly color......traffic.....noise......whatever..... if it make me $$ I don't get a sh*t....

Mental blocks, stagnation, stagflation, future economy, comfort, family...All of these things and so much more go round and round in my head.

So then you see all this run down houses and apartments trashed on every block. 

And have many 4unit comps in the last 6, or even 12 months that are within blocks from the subject?

It is ok if the decks in the air, but when they sit right at the ground, that can create water issues multiple ways.In my primary residence I would do colored concrete with stamped pattern.