Meters can be checked on the site visit.

Since it appears you are out of state like I am, you need to sign with a property management company or an agent of some kind and pay them to do a site visit at least monthly, maybe even weekly to make sure the contractor is doing what he says he is doing.  

I'm also scheduling visits to some of these properties so that I can get a better sense of values and rents which will help me to recognize the diamond in the rough.

As I will not have my financing squared away prior to visiting the property, how should I approach the seller?

Thank You all for your replies, I am planning on self managing this property, no fixes needed according to seller disclosures, but we'll see about that after my inspector visits the property! 

I want to buy something which will hopefully rent fairly easily before I move on to something more challenging.I have run the numbers and found a few properties that I believe are a good deal in a fairly safe neighborhood, although I plan to visit these before buying as I know Baltimore varies on a block-by-block basis. 

I would negative on doing this because of its uniques but you have proven its monetary intake.  

The other item I would encourage you to do is to visit some local Real Estate Investment groups in your area.  

We also have ties to FL (Naples), as we lived down there for a year out of college and then my parents moved down there after visiting us and falling in love with the area!

Your plan has to be unique to you and your particular situation, but the one thing that every HML requires is an exit strategy.