Obviously this will vary depending upon the property, but are there some general guidelines for how to anticipate this expense in the event that I am unable to obtain the information directly from the seller?  

I obviously have more to learn about.. if anyone has any critique on this harebrained scheme pull no punches!

Obviously, I made some terrible mistakes that cost me dearly for the next few years but I'm bouncing back.

LolTo expound: you DEFINITELY don't have to wait 2 years....I graduated with a biology degree and immediately got a job at best buy (obviously not in my field). 30 days later, I had a pre-approval letter and was making offers.

In the process of negotiation, let them know that you are interested in getting into rehabbing and flipping and see if they would be willing to partner with you on this job to show you the ropes (profit splits will obviously be skewed toward the investor).  

I appreciate what your dealing with, but I think a PM that comes up with a plan that involves moving out someone without a court order that has claimed to have rights as a tenant, is a way to potentially end up in a mess legally.If you had done that before he came up with this "lease" you might be able to get away with it,,but I wouldn't try it at this point,,obviously the matter is being corrected now, but I would question the approach the PM came up with, and question if you want that type of thinking working for you going forward

You obviously need to make money, but one factor I consider that others have not already mentioned is your time. 

Obviously, I am operating at a loss but I am wondering how I could structure a deal to change this.

Also look for areas with population growth Where to find your dataIn terms of the input data we discussed above, here is where you should be looking for each of these: Property Details: This information should be available from the seller, but more comprehensive and detailed information can also be obtained from your local County Records OfficePurchase Information: Obviously the seller is going to name a purchase price (which will likely be negotiable, of course), but the more important information here will be any upfront maintenance or improvement work that needs to be completed to ensure that the property can (or continue to) meet its income potential.

Experience, some guy who is 26 obviously doesn't have experience, just a fact, they haven't been exposed to very much in RE regardless of the deals done.