Are there other, more cost-effective alternatives to gain similar support and knowledge?

They are a bit undersized but perfectly suitable for 1 bedroom apartments and the slight increase in costs is far less than the costs associated with venting the units properly.

Get replacement cost hazard insurance along with an umbrella policy of at least $1M, probably double in your area.

Can try to reposition to Class B, but neighborhood may impede these efforts.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, but 15-20% should be used to also cover tenant nonpayment, eviction costs & damages.Tenant Pool: majority will have FICO scores of 560-620 (approaching 22% probability of default), many blemishes, but should have no evictions in last 2 years.

I'm hopeful this results more so in DOGE finding more efficient and effective means of outsorucing government functions rather than blankety reducing the positions.

I'm going to reiterate what's already been mentioned above, but I'm going to actually give you examples of why it's relevant to you to find a U.S. tax professional.1 - You're going to need to file U.S. taxes once you have property down here, there's federal filings, state filings, and sometimes local filings too2 - Tons of tax treaties between the U.S. and Canada that are easy to miss and can cost you a lot of money (important one with rentals - effectively connected income - if the professional you talk to doesn't know what this is, run away)3 - The amount of days you spend in the U.S. needs to be tracked and if you go over a threshold, all of your worldwide income could be taxable by the U.S.4 - Selling real property means up to 15% of your sales proceeds might not be available to you for years (FIRPTA)5 - Lots of nuance at the state and local levels, which both want to take as much money from you as possibleMain takeaway here is that you should find a U.S. based tax person.

We’re considering whether to do mid-grade updates and rent it soon if we can find a good next property though acquisition and ongoing costs are a problem.

Rental income is subject to tax, but it is also possible to deduct many costs related to owning and maintaining rental property, including property management fees, repairs, and mortgage interest payments.Additionally, for those investors holding properties in Germany for the long-term, the country's capital gains tax law is attractive.

The ability to effectively self manage would depend on the scale you are trying to buy. 

Cost vs.