This is in part because the really bad stuff will have nothing to do with you: Terrible tenants, natural disasters, CapEx surprises, etc.All this being said, you should strive to do the best with your management and process, regardless.

 - you'll be surprised on what can of worms this will uncover in your due diligence.

Explain to him why you need to maintain the ability to access the unit at any time in the event of an emergency. 

We spoke on the phone last night and I was all prepared to go through each item in a professional manner but to my surprise it wasn't necessary.  

When checking the zoning, do not be surprised if you find a distinction between a rooming house (rent rooms only) and a boarding/lodging house (rent rooms and provide at least one meal per day).

I think you might be surprised how much lower crime is there compared to some TK markets.

It is honestly surprising to see how helpful people can be especially when it comes to making investments/money. 

@Mark Gee the whole process was surprising smooth and straight forward.I bid during the pre-auction period, and was contacted by Auction.com via phone almost immediately.  

It shouldn't be any surprise then that the majority of buyers also have pie-in-the-sky notions of what they can afford.

I had Consuelo Mack on my podcast and she quoted Meredith Whitney (who's been on my show too) saying; "the midwest is her favorite emerging market."