Not familiar with those markets, but here is my experience starting at 22 and what I regret after house hacking twice: https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/922/topics/1133476-hous...

I personally will not expand into a market without securing a reliable team first.Service Quality Over Price – While 10-15% may seem attractive, be cautious—cheaper often means less attention to detail.

If you are willing to live in urban areas you may want to talk to a local bank in your market and see if they have any incentives or grant loans for certain areas.  

Sorry, Boulder won't work; it is a tough market.

So is it equally illegal when the large landlords drop rental prices in a building as vacancy increases and the market softens?

Great option for buyers financing with VA, FHA, conventional, DSCR, or cash of course (no seller financing).The listing will be available starting in mid-February and most likely won’t be on the market for long so shoot me a DM for additional details and I’ll be happy to chat!

It possible that the market will stay low for a long time.

I know a little about the phoenix market and agree it is growing. 

I found 50 acres off market near a few popular state parks in Ohio. 

I've never heard of Kin, but I too am in the market for short term rental insurance.