Because even the top agents have different areas of focuses and expertise.

Meet with the PM and their staff, even if it’s virtual.

We asked for receipts but haven't received them, even though according to contract they're mandated to share them.  

If you pay more, you won't meet your metrics and will probably have negative cashflow and/or equity.You may have to make 10, 20 or even 100 offers to get one accepted at the price that meets your numbers.This is what all investors did BEFORE the Great Real Estate Crash of 2008-2010.

Quote from @Joshua Janus: Cleveland, Ohio is a great market to focus on for cash flow and specific pockets have gone up 2x and upwards of 4x in the last 5-10 years even!

Your construction skills can give you a significant advantage, allowing you to save on rehab costs or even flip properties for capital.

I have pulled a permit for removing a fireplace, but probably would not have but I had a significant remodel going with permits and did not want hassle of him making an issue of removing the fireplace (the inspection for fireplace removal consisted of only verifying gas cap was in visible location, he did not even spray it).

Some people love that as the initial numbers look good, but probably over the long term they get tired of the common issues landlords face.It's not that hard typically to find a move in ready property, or even to find one that needs minor repairs, where you can capture the equity yourself vs the person selling it to you. 

In exchange, he gave her a small rent discount and even helped her relocate some of the larger items.

i say that not to discourage you, but so that you have a realistic picture of what to expect.as @Travis Timmons alluded to, you need to be in a strong financial position to even think about starting to invest.