Only thing better would be initial deposit and then paid in full upon Certificate of Occupancy and punchlist complete.Of course, standard items should also be checked: licensed, insured, willing and able to pull all required permits, reference checks.I would also commonly avoid the cheapest bid you get.  

Depending on the neighborhood, there simply might not be a lot of demand but I would not get discouraged.

I also have some interested friends if the work requires multiple people.

If they have Jr Coaches and they're your primary resource for coaching (and you're okay with that), ask them what the requirements/qualifications are for the JC's.

Not every older system needs to be simply replaced.

Multifamily offers steady income, scalability, and tax advantages, though it requires more upfront capital and management skills.

There is a reason we lenders require "skin in the game" and experience.

I'm open to all suggestions regarding different cities that meet my requirements and would love to chat with some realtors who have local experience working with investors.  

If you’re looking for a single-family home under $200,000 and you don’t care what city or county it’s in and you simply wanted to meet the 1% percent rule, you might be able to find that.

No, I am not saying to just change your words, I am saying to change yourself, to meet the requirements of what does work.