As I'm new to this domain, I would to hire a consultant to perform some zoning and other due diligence activities.

I agree with what others above said, that having a reliable, honest and knowledgeable team is the most important thing...more so than perhaps the location. 

Also, can anyone recommend a reliable company for this?

its most unfortunate that you had to go through this deception and theft from someone who is considered a professional in this business. we definitely appreciate you putting the warning out about this character. as hard as it is to find a reliable experienced contractor nowadays its even harder to find one that's not a crook and a liar and that's truly pathetic.   

@Tiffani HollisFor a long-term rental, I’d avoid used dishwashers entirely—repair costs and reliability issues often outweigh the savings.

A reliable lender can fund a loan within days, this opens the door to countless more deals allowing you to get the best possible price. 

I’d love to hear about the crime rates or any other issues (which we cannot guess from the online stats), and how easy or hard it is to find reliable tenants and property management companies.

There are a very limited and reliable few of lenders that do true DSCR 2nds.

In the end, people rely on internet for all sorts of things and you want that to be reliable.

Quote from @Patrick OHalleran: Hi David - I used HallCPA for a Consulting engagement (about $5k) and found the tax planning support to be very helpful.