I tend to find my own properties and deal with the realtors directly but having a realtor if you are brand new to the area, is helpful. 

A couple other neighborhoods I like besides the two you mentioned are Washington Park, Hyde Park, Woodlawn, and South Shore.I think that area will continue to be gentrified because you have the lakefront as well as CTA trains.Is there any reason you are targeting Chicago instead ofdoubling down in Kansas City?

With that being said, I probably only deny a couple of requests per year and the vast majority of guests are great!

I acquired a 3-flat in Humboldt a couple months ago who had two units not paying (ouch).

I will be going down there in a couple of days, and interested in building/developing/investing, I am a licensed Mexican Architect, I have friends living there as realtors, US investors, and US builders ready to pull the trigger. 

Small places are for couples.

Your credit will only be hit once if the apps are all within a couple weeks, and this will give you the opportunity to make an apples to apples comparison.

Me and my girlfriend recently moved into a home we are renting along with another couple in the separate basement unit.

I bought one in Pinal county a couple of years ago and earned the full 16% interest  (1.33% each month) for 14 months.

Perhaps the numbers will turn out to be much better, but I'd be careful to not let your personal love for the area lure you into an investment that you might someday loathe due to ill performance coupled with management headaches.