There is a #4, separate the utilities, physically.

I'm thinking of investing long term, I would just like to get an idea of what others are using when not physically present.

As each contingency is waived that is one less option you have for pulling out of the contract and keeping your earnest money.We are not physically looking at your agreement and you would need to see if you have an FHA contingency in there and what conditions it sets for interest rate, amortization schedule, and condition of the property.

Even though I have been at it and have been looking at properties (physically as well) I am still not as comfortable with it as I feel I should be.  

From Google streetview, it looked like a decent area, but if we had actually physically gone there, we would have realized what the neighborhood was really like and wouldn't have bought there. 

I would recommend having someone trustworthy in the area that can physically go by the each property, take current pictures of the property AND neighborhood. 

That's about as close as one gets to Detroit (both figuratively and physically) in this country ;-)Who are the current tenant population?  

Or do I have to physically go down to the court house to retrieve them.

You can also own a condo on leased land,  There you do not own the land but own the physical apartment/home structure.

That's all taken care of on my side.All I need from an agent is to physically attend the address, take interior/exterior pictures of the place, or better put me or one of my partners on video to view it.