Estimating repairs before first offer
I've been searching for my first property to put under contract. It seems like there are two major hurtles to making sure you buy a property right. Accurately estimating ARV and repairs. As someone new to all this, I'm having a lot of trouble getting a 'real' or even close to real number on repairs without having a contractor/inspector there to tell me what is wrong and how much it will cost to fix.
Since I need to have a good ballpark prior to making an offer, I'm feeling a bit lost. I feel like I'm in a chicken and egg situation. I have no inspection until the property is under contract, or contractors interested in looking at a property I don't yet own... but I can't make an offer since I don't have any idea what the rehab will cost.
I'm hoping some of you more experienced guys can point me in the right direction on this. How can I at least get in the right ballpark for rehab costs? Since this will be my first property, I'm looking for light rehab only to get my feet wet. I am only looking a builds post-lead paint, mostly townhouses. My goals are buy and hold rentals long term.
Thanks for all suggestions!