I do not use a property management service to advertise and have always used Zillow to advertise, previous references, housing records, credit checks etc

ie, wind damages the roof and that lets in rain that damages sheetrock, floors, furnishings,...   

I am scared of servicing two mortgages in the case of a vacancy.

I spent a decade in advertising, before founding and running a custom wood shop for another decade, so 'm pretty good at the self-promotion.I agree with you that the more gorilla approach would be most effective and that's actually what i've been doing – calling RE agents in my service area with active listings, introducing myself to property managers and leasing agents...To answer your question, I will have to handle the work myself for 6-12 months to build out the SOPs and field service management systems, but I have a lot of relationships for those looking to "do the work".I'll check out the meet up and would love to grab a cup of coffee, I'll shoot you an email.

Adding paint and replacing flooring is not going to add much value in the typical case.  

Also I did inquire on a PO Box with companies do provide a service where they can scan all mail and redirect them.

Get on the ground floor and start leaning.

I would be leery of an product or service being promoted that has zero negative reviews.A 1-star review is often not realistic and will tank the algorithm in your first year for sure because it's not balanced out yet.

Next steps are to put down a roll of plastic to prevent moisture or wet floors. 

I know of one particular loan program in Columbus (I'd need to see if they service Dayton) that offers 0% down for owner-occupants.