You also need to consider that at a lower percentage of money down you will be paying a Mortgage Insurance Premium or MIP. 

I recommend you start with duplexes as you should always have a paying tenant.

If your paying cash to buy and rehab then refinancing I get that.. but your still paying for two closing costs.

We are paying cash to him every week or so when he sends bill. 

Vetting tenants on my own to avoid paying broker fees is the way to go

Quote from @Josh Jung: surprised you haven't heard of RBP. it's like a mix of services you can offer to your tenants like renters insurance, virtual concierge, etc So the property manager/landlord pays for their renters insurance, and filters?  

Explicitly tell them what you're paying for it so you can get the exact number.Also, we do a 25% property tax relief in SC under the ATI bill - so if you fill out that form, you will get a reduction for 5 years.Info below:ATI Real Property Tax ExemptionSouth Carolina law now allows a partial exemption from taxation of up to 25% of an “ATI fair market value” that is the result of anAssessable Transfer of Interest.

Great tenant that always pays on time - been there for 5 years Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

The property owner's tax professional can help them with that and ensure they don't pay taxes twice on the same income.Disclaimer: My advice/opinion in this post is just that, my opinion.

Also, if you are a minority, WRA has the Partnership for Success program, which helps pay for your start up costs.