Putting 10%+ down with a different lender and getting lower points and interest is 100% better.

There are significant advantages to investing here (lower barrier to entry, much better price to rent ratio's, etc. etc.).

Better yet have them underwritten by a licensed 3rd party.

I was told that a ground-floor condo are better than a second floor condo ( If there's no elevator and Stairs are present).

What will help you sleep better at night?

Thus, my main goal joining this forum is to try to gain confidence in the decision to get into real estate investment and better understand the risks that I may not be considering due to my lack of experience in the field.

Typically to grow a real estate business and raise money you are better off partnering with someone.

One of the biggest challenges for everyone involved is being on the same page about the actual time required for maintenance.DIY landlords rarely properly track their time when it comes to property management in general - tracking their true time invested in maintenance is where they perform the worst.Investors that hire PMCs are rarely any better at understanding the true amount of time maintenance takes.

the more inconvenience you are willing to put up with now - the better off you will be long term. 

If you have a building background, I would work with an architect and build some unique places that are stick built to hold the equity value better.