The appraiser gave the house a low score so the bank said it is a risky investment for them and gave me a 70% loan.

Don't be afraid to go low Sunday through Thursday to get some activlty.We use Pricelabs, but only as a tool; I have to override it continuously.

I think they contain solid information and will help lay a good foundation as a beginner (Haha, I'm completely new to real estate as well, btw)I'm also going to be reading the following books, and hopefully I can finish all by the end of this month:1) The ABCs of Property Management2) The Advanced Guide to Real Estate Investing3) Long-Distance Real Estate Investing How to Buy, Rehab, and Manage Out-of-State Rental Properties (this might be the most important one to me personally)4) The Book on Investing in Real Estate with No (and Low) Money DownIn addition to reading, I'm consuming crazy amounts of youtube videos, and I'recommend you do this as well.

Fairlawn is a bit more expensive and there's really low inventory in that area but Cuyahoga Falls is also a nicer suburb in Akron that does really good with rentals.  

One of our MTRs is in an area with extremely low supply that we've had a waiting list for it one summer.

If you're wondering if rates are too low, raise them a hair in advertising and see if your number of inquiries drop.

The Highway 64 property presented a great opportunity due to its low acquisition cost and potential for substantial value increase.

You can also try the travelling nurses route, a lot of them are looking for low cost housing when in town. 

Last question, how significantly would the APR improve if we leave 30% in vs 25% or 20% on a HELO? 

You would still save more money 9 out of 10 times living with your parents but being able to leverage a low down payment loan will allow you to get a very high ROI on relatively safe investment.