These areas are 25-30 minutes outside of Center City but have easy access to public transportation and there is a demand for commercial units in these areas. 

Besides calling a general inspector to check for obvious issues, and a general contractor for estimating rehab costs, is there anything else I can do to reduce exposure?

When I worked with the public, the first question I asked was "tell me about your situation" because if there wasn't a motivating factor in that answer I was off the phone in under a minute. 

Subdivisions and Other Public Controls18.

A quick public records search should tell you.

A Trust Property:Trusts are an estate planning tool used to facilitate the transfer of assets and to reduce tax liability.

Could be perfect for you being an active duty diver; help sharply reduce your living costs and start giving you practical experience with landlording.

If you have a half decent agent, the delays and headaches are significantly reduced.

@Darish D.That is where insurance and attorneys comes in along with some best practices to reduce risk.  

I don't know that the open floor plan will go away, but I could see the general kitchen obsession being reduced on some properties.