My plan is to househack by staying in one unit and rest out other three.

The education has helped me as much as anything and helped me stay motivated.

You also don't need to send physical checks, as the deposit stays in the resident's name.

I would stay away from condos for a while.

Most people stay way longer than that.

There are many high demand section 8 communities in Michigan because not all landlords cater to section 8 so tenants are happy and stay if you provide attractive housing for them.To Your Success!

Although I would prefer to stay away from downtown or midtown.

I can tell you that for sure, without any question at all, that no brokerage cares about you unless they are a small mom-and-pop (and they won't have the technology stack to help you grow unless you only want to stay local).

I chose to carry contracts/ the paper and exit.  1031 if you want to stay in, but have your replacecement property in mind to avoid becoming a motivated buyer.  

Stay away from states that require higher taxes, Insurances, and in most cases HOA to avoid lost cash flow.