If a property is worth $100,000, and doesn't need any renovations or repairs (which can go beyond surface stuff, by the way) I would want there to be at least a $10-20K spread between purchase price and evaluation before I would buy it...

I am not sure what factors to evaluate on my own, and the buzz about the market (which I don't fully understand) makes me worry I should move now since I am not long term in the current old employer account.Thanks! 

Basically break down your evaluation use that to negotiate and justify your offer. 

My advise is to rethink your financing and re-evaluate.

You might lose more in evicting with damage to the unit and lost rent then doing a workout with the tenant.When evaluating a tenant it is just like an asset manager would review a home owner on  a loan.

So when I evaluate whether I want to make an offer on a place, or buy it, or keep it, I plug those numbers in, using liberal estimates on expenses and conservative estimates on revenue, and get some idea how the house works out.

The key is to always evaluate actions based on the current lay of the land.  

Small logging town in MT when the mills started closing, but mom never put us on the free lunch program.  

I think the important thing here is that you are looking at a deal and evaluating it based on the #'s, not your like (or dislike) of the property. 

I've never been dead on, but it's close enough to evaluate my budget.Further the deductions she received, are based on HER ownership not yours.