@Alexander Lang This was the first issue I’ve had with them, otherwise Cozy has made managing my own properties really simple.

Having never been a home owner, my thought is to go with the 30 year to keep my DTI low, since I certainly do want to purchase multiple rental properties down the road and that I can always "pay it off early", but is that too simple minded?

@Sandeep DhallI use DIY and I love them for the algorithm-based studies.

I suppose you could buy and sit on land, and that's relatively passive, but beyond that virtually anything else is going to require some level of financial inputs (maintenance, capex, value add) and time inputs (DIY, managing the manager, etc) in order to realize the best returns. 

@William StricklandCalculate deals you can use a simple calculator, the issue is typically never the calculator but the data that is input into the calculatorGarbage in = garbage out and this is where experience and knowledge come into play.

Quote from @David Eyal: This is actually very simple: don't get involved in personal issues.You offer them a renewal.

While this works in certain circumstances (IE you are buying under market value and rehabbing to increase to full market value) it will not be as simple as putting lipstick on a pig and commanding a higher property value.

The simple days of sourcing and acquiring traditional long-term rentals are few and far between.

I like the idea of just having a seller credit to keep it simple.

Create a simple spreadsheet or written list to compare the features of each and identify the ones that align with your requirements.