There are a few locations you will want to avoid because the tenant base can create more issues than it is worth.

There are investor friendly Realtors, like our consultancy in Michigan, that get referrals from national groups of investors interested in short-term rentals and from individuals as we help them identify profitable markets, avoid communities with proposed restrictions, partner with STR management companies that will do as little or as much as you would like them to do, and provide the other team members to make sure you are making the most informed choice, best investment, and getting all the tax benefits.To Your Success! 

That’s how you keep your margins and avoid surprises.

You can do a conventional loan with 5% down on any 2-4 unit and avoid that self-sufficiency test.Rents across the Eugene-Springfield area plateau'd in late 2022-early 2023 and have been flat since.

But I also thought to save up for 20% on a downpayment to avoid paying premiums.

You get real‑time notifications, you can monitor guest activity, and you avoid the monthly subscription fees.I think an alarm system can still make sense in higher‑crime areas or if you keep valuables inside the home.

Hopefully I can avoid critical mistakes.

Is it better to avoid buying these split level homes for rental and investment purposes?

it may be the landlords way of showing you they aren’t putting all your rent in their pocket. . it may there way of avoiding limitations if the area has or invokes rent control?       

Also, depends on the property class, but I recommend avoiding icemakers completely - they have a tendency to fail and repairs are crazy expensive.