Quote from @Erick Pena: A "good" rental property is one that covers all expenses (mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance, property management fees, and any other costs) and still leave a surplus (commonly referred to as cash flow).Calculate cash flow as: Cash Flow = Rental Income − Operating Expenses − DebtThere's much more to it, but that's the basic idea.

Whereas if you and the other investors held ownership as TICs (Tenants in common) then you could sell your portion and do a 1031 of your portion while others did something else. 

While QBO is probably more common, I've learned that they have had to become accustomed to a lot of different programs because their clients use so many different platforms.

Slow beginnings are common in real estate investing, and building momentum comes with intentional planning and leveraging your resources effectively.To gain traction:Evaluate Equity: Review the equity in your owner-occupied home and rentals.

@Jason Sung Yes, this is common.

@Paul Lucenti It is common to equate acquiring more properties to scaling and many rely on buying lower tier market/neighborhood section 8 rentals to achieve this goal.

Quote from @Ed Daniels: Very common to overthink this investment.  

General Contractor - Look for someone experienced in renovating older structures common in Baltimore.

And I know that a refinance would be the best, and most common, way to go. 

Typically people think FHA because it's what's thought of as the least amount down which is commonly the goal when we all get started.