you will likely still have to come out of pocket on your mortgage payment, which is fine.please do not buy a random property thousands of miles away in a market you don't know anything about because someone on the Internet told you to. 

Short term rental is always a larger gamble with more headaches than a long term rental.

I was purely going off of some stats on the internet (https://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Eastpointe-Michigan.ht...).

Allows users to ask questions and receive answers instantly based on comprehensive internet data2. 

But talk to a lawyer, not the internet. 

However, we were basically gambling on every transaction at this point in our career.

They could, however, cost more up front than house hacking a single family home.Look into local programs in your region, speak with lenders, and utilize internet tools to locate down payment aid programs.

If you do an internet search, you'll probably find warnings about refinancing around a 1031 exchange. 

I really can't find any written information on the internet or otherwise that gives an overview of exactly what an MTN is and how money is made from dealing with them.

IMHO,  whats important is to walk the property, otherwise, you are taking a vegas gamble with not being able to see the inside.