PS  my Detroit section 8 folks were not the easiest .. compared to the bible belt..  

But success depends on choosing the right cities and building an experienced and reliable local team.

I'd start by refining your search criteria, researching the surrounding markets, and comparing them to what best fits your needs, etc. 

The cost to maintain them probably wouldn’t be exactly 8x as compared to the single 8-unit, but it sure as hell isn’t a 1-to-1 ratio either. 

The median home price in Milwaukee went up 8.2% in 2024 - and I had to do nothing but wait, compared to a 4 month major construction job.So yeah: BRR(hold) and maybe refinace at some point if/when rates get lower

However, the best way to get a feel for rental rates compared to values is to review/underwrite properties in the area - only after reviewing/underwriting many will you begin to see a pattern.

Lower property taxes, affordable housing compared to LA (CA buyers are usually cash buyers because what they net from their smaller home in CA can get them a bigger home here, often covered by what they net from their CA sale), allergies (smog), and politics. 

Understand the fees involved and calculate the total cost for an entire year of management so you can compare the different managers.

While it's user-friendly and fine for selling physical products, its scalability for managing multiple rental properties is limited compared to WordPress.

Basically when you compare Cleveland to Riverside, California most every Cleveland deal will look amazing to you on paper.