Also with stucco siding tile roofs No major weather issues desert landcaping etc etc.. maintenance is quite easy and very cheap compared to other areas of the country.

They are cheap for a reason.

You will have unpaid rent, eviction costs, repairs, vacancy, travel costs, etc on this property.

A skilled operator can still make money there, but if you are long distance, have no connections to the area, and just like it because it is cheap, it's probably going to take a lot of time/hassle and underperform index funds.

Obviously, rents are very cheap there, but it seems I can find MLS listings that match or come close to the 2% rule.

If you can get a 4 unit and a basement, that would be ideal and create major cash flow and equity creation, plus you can not worry about a property manager and boost your yield.You can get a whole bunch of cheap debt which your tenants will pay down over time, massive appreciation and potential cash flow if you buy right. 

0 Chance.Cmon, pay for insurance or just don't own real estate.Trying to gain an extra 2-3% ROI and risk your entire principal is just stupid.Don't be cheap, get insurance.

We've debated adding a printer station to our units because it would be awesome if we were traveling to have the ability to print where we were staying. 

Real estate is not my primary job, and I travel quite a bit, so having the piece of mind that I don't have to worry about the 2am call is absolutely worth the fee. 

If I'm the buyer and I know you didn't do this work, then what else did you cheap out on?