Also, I actually have an REI meetup set on my calendar for this Wednesday so I'll be sure to kick the networking in high gear.

House A has a lower (but still high) wind storm deductible at 1%, while house B has a 5% deductible, and no one is occupying it as it was just closed.

This is especially in a high rate/high price environment. 

Now sure the high cash flow of 30% nets have decreased as pricing has doubled, tripled (all in 35- 40k, now, 100k-140k) and much more so your assumption is incorrect. 

We focused on high-impact areas such as kitchen and bathroom updates, as well as improving curb appeal.

Lawton definitely has its reputation, and you're right about the single-industry concern and the high crime perception, which makes it counterintuitive for many investors.

rates are too high right now for most long term rentals to work. 

Umbrella Insurance: Adds protection for high-cost liability claims but doesn’t fully separate assets as LLCs do.RecommendationConsider one LLC per city for balanced liability protection and simpler management, paired with umbrella insurance for added coverage.

The number of maintenance requests we get on dryers is stupid high.

$400,000 seems extremely high for a rental property.