These aren't static - they change as markets/loan guidelines change, but that's what I'm seeing right now.

Try not to paint property managers with a broad brush, you need to pick the correct one.  

The 1% rule or 50% rule or whatever you choose to use are like painting with a broad brush.

Right now I'm doing my homework and brushing up on the different neighborhoods, researching a few properties and trying to get a handle on spotting good "deals".

@Matt Berklacy foundation issues aren't always fun, but painting them with such a broad brush is a bit tough.It is really going to come down to the severity of the issue and the cost to repair.

I had two bad experiences with property management and which led to self managing but it will be unfair to cast a broad brush.

What I outlined above seems like your core overall goal, and core what must be overcome to get what you want.Now what you need to do is make a workable plan to get it.You don't need "The Best Plan" just a plan that seems realistically workable, because like everything else in life it will probably be a fluid procedure (vs a static plan) to get what you want.A workable plan might be to figure out how much down payment and closing cost you will need to buy property number 1, and how much equity vs bank loan you will need to hit your monthly income goals vs what you have to put down on it as a minimum.

It really depends on how your lease is worded and also your local landlord tenant law, so you may want to brush up on all that quickly.Even if nonrenewals were halted in your jurisdiction (I don't know if they were), this goes beyond simple nonrenewal if it truly is a safety issue.

Opened the kitchen to the living area by adding a 15ft bar area, featuring quartz kitchen countertops and brushed bronze hardware (also found throughout the house.)

You can increase the value at a static NOI by cap rate compression.