In my experience, success in D-class areas almost always requires being local, extremely hands-on, and self-managing.

Personal guarantees are EXTREMELY common.

Do you see Nike cold calling customers or driving for dollars?

I finished all the degree requirements only to discover I was extremely burned out and had to complete another year of electives to satisfy a minimum number of credits at that university.

Even the most expensive property managers are EXTREMELY cost effective if you really think about it!

It is extremely odd the previous companies did not ask for that if they are collecting rent for you and issuing you disbursements.  

I would not recommend them as their points and interest rates are so high it is extremely hard to find a deal that will work with the 0% down.

Cold Called the seller.

And, even then, hitting your rate target would still be extremely challenging unless you were paying points up front, in which case it would probably make more sense to just try to put in a bigger down payment (or pay down the balance if refi) instead and get better terms naturally offered at the lower LTV.

Verifying last 2 years of rental history and income extremely important to find the “best of the worst”.Make sure you understand the Class of properties you are looking at and the corresponding results to expect.