People and entities are investing throughout the city so first define what you can and want to do and THEN match that to the neighborhoods/blocks/projects/ that meet your criteria. 

(Both because they’re caring people and because it’s hard to pay rent when you need to buy clothes and a bed.)2) there’s a chance the renters insurance will pay for damage caused by the tenant

Painting, cleaning up, etc - stuff that takes a lot of time but doesn't require specialized skills, and even if done poorly would not cause serious damage.

You can have a home valued at $400k and one block over the same size property could be worth a fraction of that.

If you're investing in the Harrisburg city limits make sure you or your boots on the ground understand the various sub markets well because things can change drastically in just a block or two.  

During your walk through of the property you should be able to get an idea of the tenant based on the condition of each apartment, dirty, damages, etc.At the end of the day it can be challenging choice to make on keeping the current vs not.

It's really not rocket science... and once you've been around the block a few times you will be so much more comfortable.$100,000 should be able to get you at least 2 good properties (in my area)... and probably closer to 3 if you are lucky.  

Getting your taxes done at H&R Block?

During this time, I will be doing a basic inspection of every room and noting anything out of the ordinary or what looks like damage/deterioration. 

That sounds like damage or remodeling time to me.