@Tony StancatoYou should be able to get actuals on taxes, insurance, utilities, with a few phone calls (or on the internet) and you can also get area vacancy rates from the local chamber of commerce. 

Not just SEO, Google Ads, etc but getting your site managers out into the community meeting apartment leasing agents, moving companies, Chambers, etc. 

Join the local Chamber Of Commerce or go to thier sight they have local statistics.

Especially with the Internet and equipped with my trusty BlackBerry (actually, T-mobile MDA now) I'm better connected than most landlords down the street.Most problems can be solved by phone, email, and UPS.In terms of the investing part, I plan a 1-2 week road trip periodically, to spend time in 2-3 cities, meet with the chamber of commerce, talk with local business people and everyone around town, and meet with one or two good realtors.

Chamber of Commerce: Call the President of the Chamber.

Other sources of data are your local KC business chamber.

Talk to the Chamber of Commerce people to see what they know about the future.  

Account Closed can you expand on your chamber news?

You're in your own echo chamber and can't see/hear/think clearly about this...

I already go to the local chamber of commerce events and there is no local reia in my small town.