Also like others have mentioned definitely consider the homeowner capital gains tax exclusion which can be significant and truly passive. 

In some areas, accepting rent after it's due can mean you need to keep accepting it.

You haven't found out what the market will accept — you've found out what it will do with two specific offers on two specific properties.

Easy way to access forums is hover over "Community" and you'll see it there (both Pro-Exclusive Forums and regular forums). 

Perhaps lenders feel an agent will "accept" a higher price more readily, I don't know.

During the approval process, do I have to prove to the lender that I’m capable of paying the full mortgage if the other three units are completely vacant based exclusively on income?

We would not accept online or non-local documents, unless the party just moved to our locale.

Any landlord can accept Section 8 (Housing Choice Vouchers) — it’s simply a government program where the local housing authority pays a portion (or all) of a tenant’s rent directly to you.That means you can buy any investment property that meets your market and return criteria, pass the housing authority’s inspection, and rent it to a qualified Section 8 tenant.There’s nothing “exclusive” about that process.Bottom line: you don’t need an Acquisition company or anyone else to “get into” Section 8.

It’s important you have accurate assumptions for insurance, taxes, mortgage payment, rental income, etc.Once an offer is accepted, the title company gets involved and will let you know if there are any title issues that you need to be aware of.

Dedicate one checking account and credit card exclusively to real estate.