Appreciation will then be your bonus for good work done and finding cash flow will ensure your purchases have a legitimate margin of safety.

A safety net for section 8 tenants.

-Tenant demands walk through inspection together, I decline for my safety.

Be patient and consistent with what you decide to do.  

If you are leery of taking the plunge without a safety net, per se, then partnering can be a nice way to get your feet wet. 

I tell people to be "aggressively patient and overly prepared".

You might consider hospitals, as patient families often need long term stays.

I know patience is a big deal but at the same time, I'm not patient with learning or "doing my homework".

Good luck and be patient! 

I have found Some great single family investments over the years here in Utah (I have 2 with CAP rates over 10% and one with CAP rate 7.5%), I know the deals are harder to find right now, but they are still out there, just takes some patients and some time to find them, and maybe sometimes some creativity.