Without a PM you can afford to pay top dollar for service professionals as needed.  

I’m stating to look around some of the smaller markets outside of Boston, starting to dive deeper into market research to see if some of the more affordable areas are sustainable for rentals.  

They paid the deposit and prorated rent, but they couldn't afford a full month of rent a week later.

I will purchase this 4-plex through an FHA Loan with 3.5% Down Payment and live there for at least 1 year until I can afford my next multi-family!

As long as you can afford to make the repairs within the next year or so and you're not spending more than the house is worth, I would move forward with the purchase.

He's the CEO of a company that builds healthcare facilities, and you rented him a "fully furnished luxury executive rental," but then you said he's broke and couldn't afford to give his kids Christmas presents?

>Sacramento remains affordable at $1,850/month, with minimal growth.

Mom and Pop shops are not that great at accounting and the numbers tend to look like they can't afford to live so take that in to account plus the operations they are doing. 

Can you afford the downpayment, brrr costs, keep money in the deal and have sufficient reserves for both properties(i.e 2 years of vacancy/lead times, 75-100% of capex, 3-6 months of random ********?

They have a mix of solid rental demand and still offer relatively affordable entry points.FWIW, those aren't areas I specifically invest in today but they will give you some anchors and are examples of strong neighborhoods.As for schools, it’s true they can be a challenge in a lot of Detroit.