Would definitely recommend finding a partner who can help walk you through this if you decide to move ahead. 

One of my buy box requirements is the house needs to cashflow at least $500 per month or I am not buying it. 

Canton is not quite as bad, although they have increased annual fees and initial inspection requirements in the past few years that Akron never put in place. 

FHA loans require living in the home as your primary residence for 1 year after purchase.

We only require a soft credit check as well. 

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

My recommendation would be to engage an investment property focused realtor (not a general residential realtor) and let that person guide you through the process from pre-qualification to market/property valuation and selection. 

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

Again, definitely consult with a CPA - our team has a few recommendations if you are interested and I can DM you as well. 

I would recommend getting into AI and using propwire's free version to start before upgrading to Privy or Propstream.