Thanks for the imput, Peter  Good luck with your zoning issues ,   I would assume your persistence will pay off . $50 a ft  that certainly does work .

They are all preforming well, but due to deduction maximization by my CPA, the big banks are having issues processing my loan for the latest property that I have under contract.

I have health issues so most of my work is searching and evaluating props on line.

Being self-employed has always been an issue qualifying, so I will have to start small and work my way up.  

So these are my initial thoughts on the issue - I'd love to hear any feedback from the experts out there... any other military members who encounter these types of frequent move and invest types of life situations... so thanks in advance for your input!!!

Lessons learned:1)Fire a non performing PM early and often ... they NEVER get better.2)Don't buy out of state where you can't verify issues & solutions or easily take control to straighten out a mess if need be.3)Repeated visits for what seems like the same or similar issue are a red flag which should NOT be ignored.4)Use licensed, bonded electricians who pull permits.5)Trust but verify.6)Be careful about who even bids your jobs.

Through market data I can't see internal or structural issues so considering the homes in this area are older that may be the culprit for the price inconsistency.

Just keep being a good landlord by making sure the property is in working order and being quick to respond to issues.  

Gary can be a good rental city, but you better have a very strong property manager or you could have major issues with rents not being paid and people tearing up your properties.  

The issue with land in general is its stark trickiness, there's no way to set a general rule of thumb as to what prices ought to be offered or what an approximate value would be, the reason?