My North Oakland units, purchased 2015, are all condos in a single complex = no rent control.

It depends on the number of Units, Residential or Commercial, Apartment Complex or mix of Single Family and Multifamily.Under 25 unit  - Tenant Cloud, RentechUnder 100 - Then Doorloop/Buildium.100+ - AppFolio, Yardi, Rent Manager.Apartment Management : Yardi seems to be wildly usedSingle Family ( Mixed ) - AppFolio seems to be popularRent manager has a good customer support team.

Here in Oregon we aim for 25-35% down for owner carried complexes.

Fees for this service can vary depending on your location and the complexity of the transfer.

Ordinances and codes can be complex and lengthy, I would recommend engaging an architect to assist and give in-depth analysis.  

Is there a "sweet spot" distance from a highly, mainly urban area?

This was super complex for me and REI is definitely not my forte, but it all went relatively smoothly. 

I find that the renters find it appealing when the apartment complex offers some form of move in discount as well. 

If you gain interest on the deposit, then you must pay that interest out to the tenant each year which adds to complexity and workload.Any bank should work.

You navigated the legal complexities, negotiated like a hero, pressed to get your sellers there best outcome, and you made almost half as much as your CPA, an Electrician, nearly 2/3 what you could be earning if you did plumbing or painting as a living.......