However, I have found trails of information on the internet and FHA-type websites indicating if you relocate due to work, that you are not bound by the 1-year rule once you begin at your new place of employment.

I have used this as well for tenants who don't use the internet and/or don't have a checking account of their own.Otherwise, yes, you could do the PO Box.

Look, we’d all like to search the internet, find a deal for sale, analyze the property as having a great cash flow at current interest rates, with lots of upside potential in a gentrifying market.  

When you have studied your market properly you should be able to provide the answer of if single family or residential multifamily is better for cash flow. 1% rule was for a time when almost all deals were decent as a way to rule out the lessor deals and concentrate on the best deals.

I ASSUME you’re talking $400+ in extra expenses for providing water, power, sewer, gas, internet, communal area cleaning, and exterior maintenance.

You’re going to deduct your tax prep, your internet, your cellphone, your computer, your tablet, your mileage if you’re involved in the properties, your home office, etc etc.

I find that internet providers, like Comcast, tend to update their technology and offerings to better speeds as customers have higher usage demands.

Assuming your property is in Utah (like your profile indicates), here's the state law from a basic internet search:In Utah, a tenant who abandons a rental property without notice is liable for the lesser of the following: The rent remaining on the leaseThe rent plus the difference between the fair rental value and the agreed-upon rentThe cost to restore the property to its original conditionThe landlord can also remove the tenant's belongings and sell them if the tenant doesn't claim them within a reasonable time.

I have not been able to find any in person networking events in my area doing a basic internet search.

There are a lot of rough areas here that look good on the internet but the reality on the ground is much different.