You can buy a new house every year or pay your 8% down.  

Property #1 is a turnkey, fully rehabbed 2/1 1000sq ft house in a location that will rent for $1200.

Then start shopping for houses, don't engage in FOMO or real estate agent pressure. 

But to answer your question, House canary is good for rent rates, zillow is a good tool for property data and for seeing what is for rent for how much, sales comps etc. 

What if I told you that you could purchase your house by only paying for 20% of the property value?

I kept thinking it would get easier and less nervy as I bought more houses.

If you are married, put the debt for the family house in only one person's name.

I've dealt with this exact same situation, and ontop of everything I was dealing with the Section 8 housing authority because my tenant was a voucher holder. 

Before buying or renting in an unfamiliar neighborhood, you should check the following two sites: SpotCrime, AreaVibes,These sites provide valuable information, including Livability Scores, which cover aspects such as crime rates, employment, health, housing, schools, shopping, and more.well, anything can happen anywhere.

Attend open houses to understand market trends.