Google always has pretty up to date images on the maps app/feature.I then take these addresses and put them in an excel spreadsheet and I typically do some research on the county tax assessor site.

Then, store the property on or offsite (Like the garage?)

We use one bedroom in the apartment as a guest room, the second bedroom has been taken over by my husband to store his guitar collection.  90% of the time the apartment is vacant.  

It's the clothing type stores that are not doing that well.

Needed a specific shower stall, saw on the website it was at the 2nd closest store to me, and went to get it.

I’m also depreciating a newly purchased commercial mower ($6000) and an enclosed trailer ($5000) to store and transport it and other equipment to the property over 5yrs (I think) or $2200/yr.

That's the only store I swear by, other than..

couple things and again not to throw cold water on your idea.you are going to find it quite difficult in the north bay to find homes as cheap as your talking about.but that said.. get PROPERTY RADAR and use that app.. its critical.when vetting a buyer ask them for the last 3 properties they bought.. ask for address check public records and see if they actually bought them.. you are going to run into a whole host of flakes on craigslist that you had no idea existed.. daisy chains of guys like you with little to no money trying to do this..

The reason is that instead of letting my excess cashflow sit idle in a bank and earn me zero return, I am storing that money as equity in a property by paying down a mortgage.

Like every business, there's a luxury segment, and a discount, $1 store version.