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.

If your local law allows it, see what everyone else is doing and go by the norm. 3 months rent is a substantial amount for some, but really helps ensure the financial quality of a tenant.Sometimes I have immigrants who apply who work their tails off and can't afford the 3 months up front.

It's a nice T-shirt.

If you are charging market rent, the rent you will lose for that 1 week of occupancy would afford you the ability to rent a comparable property on the market without the need for any of this kind of nonsense. 

Opportunities include affordable fixer-uppers, older neighborhoods, and targeting FHA buyers.Good luck!

Quote from @Henry T.: I topped out with 21 SFR's.

This "house hacking" approach lets you live in one unit while renting the others, helping cover your mortgage and build equity more affordably.

I think long term future trends will continue to support affordable real estate markets.