A couple of miles north of there has seen some development with Whole Foods, Starbucks, Chipotle etc. but safe to say this would still be one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city.  

(If I posted in the wrong forum I apologize, wasn’t sure where this fitted in the best)

A quick tidbit when selecting a neighborhood or zip to research.

After you know where the good, the bad, and the ugly is or your area, then you can break down into neighborhoods to find properties in them. 

Get a ripping jig that fits on your circular saw

That's the word that I think fits better. 

For that reason, they only pencil for loans of 3M and more (which fits your big complex, but not your small.)Fannie also has a small balance loan for your smaller deal, and I believe they can do longer terms.I have a company that i've talked to about both.

Also browse your local market online and by driving around to learn about neighborhoods, home values, etc.

If you can't (and it'll be hard in your neighborhood), don't buy a property just because you think you're "throwing away" your BAH by renting - by buying a property, especially with a 0% down VA loan, you're just cutting out the landlord as the middleman of putting money into someone else's pocket. 

There is a cabinet in the hallway that allows for inspection of the plumbing, and after further inspection, the joist that the shower sits on is cut to allow the drain line for the shower to fit.