Absolutely, the passive income from owning rentals is great but I also love getting into big projects and seeing the transformation from start to finish@David Jesperson What city/market are you looking to buy and what type of properties are you looking for, SF, 2-4 MF, or 5+ MF?

Akron is a very blue city and are not very landlord friendly - source of income protections, etc... 

If they pass all of the checks and have the proper income then they have a shot at moving in.

This is how I see it:Single-Family Homes:Pros:Larger pool of potential tenants (families).Simpler management (one tenant, one lease).Often easier to finance.May appreciate faster in some markets.Cons:Only one income stream.Vacancy hits harder financially.Duplexes:Pros:Two potential income streams.Live in one unit and rent the other (house hacking!)

Quote from @Erick Pena: A "good" rental property is one that covers all expenses (mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance, property management fees, and any other costs) and still leave a surplus (commonly referred to as cash flow).Calculate cash flow as: Cash Flow = Rental Income − Operating Expenses − DebtThere's much more to it, but that's the basic idea.

Check credit, income, and rental history.

I would spend a few bucks on nice ads in local magazines and/or do flyers in areas that are higher income. 

(Especially a 2-4 unit.)Do they have friends/relatives/co-workers that would rent rooms from them if they bought a property to show more income?

The northwest suburbs of Akron are the higher  income areas.  

For the first few years, I would focus more on the experience you gain than the money you earn.