Unfortunately, I tend to agree that they really are not concerned with whether or not you have to cancel bookings. 

I think that equity gains in good areas tend to outstrip the value of cash flow in the long term but if you're pumping money into a rental property you're going to need a hell of a lot of equity to make up for not only the additional funds you put into it, but the opportunity costs lost in that money and the money that's in the property. 

Plus the bar tends to be much lower, so it is much easier to stand out.

Union City I tend to avoid, there are a few pockets that work for MTR but for the most part the city's rental laws make life very tough for landlords. 

They tend to overcharge for rehab and/or overvalue the properties they find investors and then overpromise on the rents they can get. 

Pad Split tends to have shorter stays. 

This tends to be the issue with these lower cost homes, unless you buy them very very cheap.

Because you already invested and presumably can't get out, your brain will automatically be selective and tend to trust the positive information and ignore bad information.

Capex and tenant issues tend to exceed cash flow and when you decide to exit after a couple of painful years, you are in for another surprise:It is shockingly hard to sell cheap homes! 

I tend to find my own properties and deal with the realtors directly but having a realtor if you are brand new to the area, is helpful.