This translates into $204K over the life, in addition to the small down payment.  

It was not 2,000 miles away though so that played a major factor that's for sure.What I can say for sure is that investors need to make sure they do not have to rely on the tenants rent to pay the mortgage, especially if they are out of state.

As much as I too rely on advice from the BP forum, for a matter like this you don't want any surprises!

The two risk factors I see in this scenario are: The Class A- property allows me to leverage my cash into a better property in a better neighborhood minimizing the risk of higher vacancy rate, the need to rely on subsidized rents, and getting a better qualified tenant mix for the long term, minimizing the possibility of fewer headaches.The Class C/C- property comes with a lot more cash flow due to there being no debt on the property, however it also comes with a lot more risk in the form of all the issues that come with renting a C/C- property and there seems to be a lot of them.

, I read newspapers etc - I live here, and I understand trends a lot betterI can (and I will) read articles on real estate in the US, and what areas in the country are going to develop and so on, but do you really think that I can take smart decisions relying these articles?

I would like to link with a real estate attorney for assistance in translation of the contract, and making sure i am covered.Please let me know if you have any referral for one in Georgia especially in Marietta. 

I tend to rely heavily on option 1 since I don't have much capital.

Not to be totally relied upon.  

In general, we're relying on their licensing to do debt collection on our behalf.

He had to move back home with my parents in Ohio and relies on his tenants rent check to pay his mortgage.