@Basit Siddiqi Have you considered getting an assistant to manage all of those things rather than a property manager.  

And I would be afraid you'd get someone squatting there, who wouldn't leave, and you wouldn't know it until it's too late.

Focus on smaller single-family homes, condos with low HOA fees, or multi-family properties in these regions, and build a reliable local team of agents, property managers, and other professionals to ensure a smooth investing experience.

My property manager says there was no indication that the tenants are at fault.

Would love feedback from anyone with personal investing and/or property management experience in these cities.

Thank you Andy. 

The tips on zoning and entitlement are invaluable, and I really appreciate you sharing that insight.  

Meeting a 20% down payment to avoid PMI seems manageable, although would take a big chunk of my liquid net worth, and I prefer this route over using an FHA loan.

Need to be permitted and I am going to say it probably wasn't.

Dennis' dad and I actually tripped over something similar back in Chandler.. we learned to tap into city planning websites and even call the permit offices directly to get a real sense of their backlogs.