It recommends charging $1,000/month plus utilities, maintaining the property, and drafting a written agreement.

I recommend anyone else do the same.

That would be my recommendation is to buy an investment property and remain where you are.

Remember you are using debt to make this investment, not reserves  sitting in your bank account so I recommend a more conservative investment approach. 

Would recommend working with a trusted broker instead. 

Quote from @Madhuri Gupta: this company: Flipsystem run my Antonie Martel seems to still continue to recommend this team to its subscribers.

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

Closing costs also very per lender so I would recommend asking for a loan estimate and looking at the bottom line.

I usually recommend clients a pretty easy cosmetic rehab which is refinish floors, replace cabinets with modern white ones, add a white stone, new appliances, new bathroom vanity/mirror/light fixture and add in unit laundry. 

That’s not something I believe anyone would recommend.