I feel like we are always instructed as investors to make our money when we buy (i.e. buy at a discount).

If you buy a house at a discount due to condition/distress, most appraisal districts will just go with your purchase price for the first two years. 

Maybe a little low - however since we are building and I know the quality of materials we are using I have a good handle on how long they will last/cost to replace etc.If they are new builds I think most of what you would put there depends on the quality of materials used, quality of construction and the types of things that will start to wear out first based on your weather etc.Roofing, siding/windows, water heaters, appliances, exterior paint, etc are what I would foresee needing attention and the largest expenditures as time moves on (and for those of us in hail prone areas  - the random damaging hail storm)If I follow the new construction route for an extended period of time I'd plan on selling around the 10-15 year mark so I avoid the maintenance issues that will likely start popping up around then.We will use SmartSiding which has a 50 yr warranty, Smart trim and if my partner can get a hookup on some discount or odd lot Class IV impact resistant shingles we'll be using those on the roof.  

.* Discount points.

Also, Buildium and Rentec have a significant overlap of features for an 80% discount.  

BP has a tremendous amount of information to help you, but it is only available if you seek it out.

If the seller will not discount I walk from the deal.I see it a lot where buyers just agree to take on these in place tenants without any worthwhile concessions from the sellers.

BP has a tremendous amount of information to help you, but it is only available if you seek it out.

Perhaps there is another group of folks who do not discount the risks but account for it & are prepared to pay for services to mitigate those risks.

The guarantor offered a year upfront in exchange for a modest discount, which I accepted.