An LLC is always best, its going to work for multiple different finance options. 

However, i would like a person with multiple rentals to help guide me to avoid some simple mistakes.

The yard looked like trash, plumbing stack leaks and multiple water heater leaks.

When you add that: "The downpayment and closing costs would be one large hurdle"; I can't tell if you can only afford to do this once (thus tying up whatever you have saved) or multiple times.  

Make sure to vet and look into multiple different PM's per city.

You didn’t mention the property or deal specifics, but for many deals in the recent years, there have been amazing and unusual gains due to multiple unnatural circumstances.

You can have an email for each account and you should be able to set your phone up see multiple accounts at once should you get inquiries or messages.Just log into each account to make updates and price changes.

Quote from @Alex Messner: Hello,My wife and I are looking into buying our first home with hopes to eventually accrue multiple properties for renting. 

I heard about bigger pockets from a friend of mine that has successfully built and rented multiple properties in our area. 

these can produce good returns but best chance for success is for those that have experience in this area (I am a partner on an effort adding 8 ADUs, but it is not performing to the initial underwriting (underperforming) and it is an experienced team).good luck I get it, but not everyone has the opportunity of scale and building multiple units.