So I'd be doing my best to get the highest possible rent/revenue but without needing or counting on that.What you refer as cut-throat competition exists in every market where you have demand.

However, these activities should not cause concern for them.

As mentioned, they often come with limited returns and still require management.I’m curious—when you say active investing doesn’t appeal to you, is it because of time constraints or concerns about risk?

Unless you believe in the location, most likely, I will try to sell it and cut my losses. 

By the sounds of it you are going to have your work cut out for you. 

I understand your concerns.

Many of the entities involved in this line of investment are cut throat and liars to the core.

They're probably fine with you paying for additional marketing as long as they aren't cut out of the deal.

That said, I completely understand your concern about deals looking "too good to be true" when you’re putting in 50% down.To avoid this, it’s best to analyze properties as if you were using more traditional financing (20-25% down).

I'm looking into purchasing a rental property in the Belmont area of Dayton, OH and wanted to get any insight for this market as it seems concerning that the average rent is higher compared to the actual costs of houses in the area.