Anyone use a good, easy, and accurate tool to get comparable sales or rents in a location?

They may be good or they may be not so good.

I highly recommend seeking the help of a buyer's agent who can: 1. find out any information on the property on your behalf 2.

We ended up getting the house, which had a finished basement, and a sump pump due to high water table. 

It's probably pretty vague.If so, you're highly unlikely to win in court.Also, it appears you may be incorrect about your eviction assumptions.You state you, "found 3 forcible detainers".

I wonder why the government isn't encouraging more people to become developers compared to the money they are putting into VCsWhat would be a good step by step approach to becoming a developer?

There is no downside to appealing your taxes and there is a very good chance you will win.

A good friend is from Nicaragua.  

I also closed one another property in NC which is in excellent location and is doing good.

Collections is about finding away to get the tenants to pay as much as possible, as soon as possible.The first problem is that you had a vacant property for 3 months... this is clearly a pricing issue where you were too high.