Ever.The sack-of-shade contractor that I canned for being so pathetic at his job that it illuminates my idiocy for hanging onto him for 8.5 months, filed a mechanics lien on the property. 

Cash on cash returns are 4-7% in A class areas. 8-12% in B and 12-25% in C/D areas.The 25% returns look great on paper but they are high risk properties that can come with a lot of issues.Buffalo can be a great place to invest if you get a good property with sounds mechanicals in a good area.

I'm handy when working on a car, and was a mechanic for a couple of years.

I'm not familiar with the area but 30k rehab seems high unless you are doing some of the major mechanicals. 

That leaves me at least 100/mo per door on maintenance and cap ex reserves for larger expenses (roof, windows, mechanicals, etc.), my cost should be less but it gives me a good buffer/ extra profits.Deals are out there, you need to determine your metrics and stick to them.

Are the mechanicals (furnace/boiler/water heart/appliances/etc) of the property sound or are you going to be making an investment in these in the near future?

It's like the guy who brings his car to the mechanic to fix an odd rattle under the hood.The mechanic lifts the hood, takes a hammer, taps the engine and the rattle stops. 

We were fortunate that the property did not need much exterior or mechanical work.

Just a little recap: I am located in Kansas City and work full time as a classic car mechanic.

I work as a mechanical engineer for an oil refinery here in town where I was offered my first job out of college.