not sure I know exactly what those mean yet except to say I'm looking for more long term equity to have better tenants/houses than better short term cash flow with lower tier properties.  

So, in my opinion, the time for this sort of due diligence would have been before you invested (rather than after).At this point if you visit and find a big problem, it's likely going to be like trying to close the barn doors after the cows have already all left.The one possible exception might be if it's a problem investment (which you didn't say it was)...and you are wanting to try to "shake up" management by visiting. 

Ends up a few times we are looking at some of the same leads, except he paid top dollar for his.

This firm specializes in representing landlords doing evictions in Colorado and probably does 80% of all evictions in Colorado.Sure, doing the first "year" as an 11 month lease might help address the new tenant in perpetuity but after the first 12 months they are your tenant as long as they want to stay (with the exceptions allowed by the law).

Same for many of these costs (except title insurance).

Once you have the LLC set up with the DCCA, you can just record a quitclaim deed with any escrow company, no lawyer necessary except to draft the deed. 

Washington continued with land acquisition and development through most of his life, with two exceptions, both of eight year duration.  

Of course, there're exceptions to that, too.

They could be allowing a tenant to pay rent late each month, and that tenant will be expecting you to make the same exceptions for them. 

Select a larger area that is at least 30 minutes in each direction. with maybe a hand full of exceptions I am pretty sure you would be hard pressed to find a mix that represents the demographic cross section of this country and therefor a wide range of neighborhoods.