For a newer investor, I would tend to think that a "light" value add project would be worth pursuing, such as one with rents 10-20% below market with some inefficiencies in management, expenses and vacancy slightly higher than the market average.

It's similar but better, has a light inside.

Dark laminate with sherwin Williams ellie gray, white cabinets and brushed nickel hardware/ light fixtures is what I like

Hmmm light bulb. 

I would go with a light/medium grey color.

Updated kitchen, bathrooms, new flooring, new paint, new appliances, new living space in basement, updated lighting fixtures, new landscaping, plus more.

Many electrical boxes in ceilings are not intended to support more than a low weight light fixture and I'm sure no one on this forum wants a spinning fan dropping onto a tenant's bed.

Did some light sprucing up - landscaping, new stove, cleaning, etc.

Some things I did though were put in vinyl flooring, sand/paint cabinets, paint the interior, exterior lawn care/maintenance, new light fixtures, and a handful of other little things.

This will help you get a better idea of what tile, hardwood, carpet, plumbing fixtures and light fixtures costs for your rehabs.#3 Contact Local Contractors for Labor PricingCall local Subcontractors and get budget pricing for common repairs on your typical rehab project.For example, call a roofer and ask what their average cost per Square of Architectural Asphalt Shingle Roofing would be on a 1,500 sf house, with a 6/12 pitch.Note: Some contractors will be reluctant to share pricing without seeing the property, but tell them you are just looking for a rough budget number you can use on future projects.#4 Compile Your Prices into a Spreadsheet or Estimating SoftwareOnce you start to get a better understanding of Labor and Material costs you will want to store this data into a spreadsheet or software that you can use to help you streamline the estimating process.The Book on Estimating Rehab Costs comes with a spreadsheet that you can use to help you populate your own database of labor pricing and material pricing.