Ultimately, you have to be clear on your goals. 

Ultimately, it's about you and what works to give you enough comfort and protection from all the unknowns.  

It was pretty hard to find properties where the numbers and landlord laws made sense which is what ultimately led me to investing in Columbus, OH.

Here are a few I recommend: "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Roberto Kiyosaki; "Set for Life" by Scott Trench; "The Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing" by Spencer; "The BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginners Guide" found here on BP; "The Book on Rental Property Investing" by Brandon Tuner.

My mom is willing me her house when she passes away. Any suggestions on how to structure the will with specific provisions to allow my stepfather to remain after her death? My heart would like to let him stay for free...

Not trying to be a jerk, but you have a better chance of surviving when jumping out of a plane at 10,000 ft without a parachute than remotely managing a class D rental from afar. 

Health is the ultimate wealth. 

Ultimately they failed and I did buy the house subject to, but they had a couple more years in the house and I gained all the equity over those years without the holding costs.

Just because you have the inside scoop on the property doesn't mean you know things like: Are there other liens on the property that would survive the auction?  

Surveys are my area of expertise ;)Ultimately, I tend to agree with you that allowing pets, with specific guidelines and screening criteria for good pet owners, will often yield greater occupancy thus allowing you to increase rates.