You are a landlord , not a social worker .

Two quick moves: pick one lane for deal one (simple long‑term rental or a light BRRRR) and set a tight buy box in one market so you can underwrite 5–10 listings a week and sanity‑check rents with a local PM.Of Indiana, Kansas, Alabama, and Pittsburgh, which market do you want to test first, and what’s your initial buy box (beds/baths, rehab level, rent target)?

All materials are very durable and last for many years.Renovation cost is a function of the following:Property selection: We only consider properties needing low-risk cosmetic renovations—appliances, paint, flooring, countertops, and window treatments.Market competition and tenant preferences: Our finishes match what our target tenants expect and what competing rentals offer.

However, I'm realizing that the investor community I've cultivated for my search is not well suited to invest in this as they prefer actively managed companies with higher (30%+)  IRR targets.

Build your core three locally: a multifamily broker who knows mom‑and‑pop sellers, a lender comfortable with small balance multifamily, and a PM with real rent rolls in your target zip codes.

So I’m really interested in hearing what areas near Phoenix you think:– are on the rise,– have adjusted in price with the cooling market,– or are good long-term holds where I could also live comfortably.Which areas/cities/zip codes in and around Phoenix/Maricopa county would you target with a ~$400K budget for a house hack with appreciation potential?

Send them all your bank account numbers, your social security number,  all your passwords and all your relevant personal profile information. 

Cleveland can definitely be a solid market depending on what you're targeting, but since you're already looking around Ohio, I’d also suggest keeping an eye on Columbus.

Because the Property Class dictates the Class of the tenant pool that the property will attract.The Tenant Class greatly impacts rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.Both Property Class and Tenant Class will affect what type of contractors, handymen and property management companies you should target and be willing to deal with a property.The Property Class will also impact the maintenance & renovations you do to, “Maintain to the Neighborhood”.Why is that important?

So, owners mistakenly think price is the only differentiator – and look for a PMC like they’d shop for groceries☹We encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others by reading posts here on BiggerPockets from owners that picked a PMC solely by price and regretted it.We recommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Even if someone gives you a referral, do NOT make the mistake of assuming that just because a PMC met their expectations, they’ll meet your expectations.