Why should be obvious, and it is for all who aren't chugging the kool-aid. 

Since you all are emotionally involved I'd get a full picture from the numbers perspective to aid you all in making a decision one way or the other. 

Key data points like occupancy rates, ADR trends, and regulatory risks are crucial for investors, and offering a breakdown of operational costs would aid in calculating net income more accurately. 

Legal Aid of Western Missouri working for the neighborhood association.

DMU is the closest to a campus environment, but it's small and it will be relocating to West Des Moines soon so I'm not sure what that means for those apartments...Maybe Ames is worth a look if you are actually looking for college rentals. 

Since you are looking for passive income from a rental to aid in your income once you hit FIRE & retire, I'd focus on building a portfolio that begins to build on that cash flow to replace your W-2 salary. 

Closest major city is an hour away.

Currently, I am a REALTOR in Auburn, AL, and the surrounding areas (I selected the location as Birmingham because that is the closest option to me).

Plus an advisor must act as a fiduciary to you, and aid in the discovery and due diligence to help put the right options in front of you. 

If the goal is simply to better understand the commercial landscape, values, and happenings, skip buying any course and start subscribing to the Business Journal for your closest major metro.