But, trying to increase its value BEYOND what the neighborhood has ALREADY dictated, is fraught with danger.

Especially considering since this sounds like your first deal.Dealmakers with more experience have a greater chance of dictating terms.I would budget in Property management fee and capital expenditures into your budget.

Do we know yet whether or not landlords will be able to dictate which deposit insurance provider our tenants may use?

HOAs are required to keep x amount in reserves for capex (as dictated by an annual reserve study) so that you [ideally] don't run into the need for special assessments. 

Rents will now be raised higher than the market would have dictated.

  : )   What you have to figure out with your tax professional is to answer a variety of questions with regards to the status of Passive Activity , Services provided (substantial/insubstantial) and if Vacation Home rules apply to your situation which will dictate what you get to write off.  

Some respondents have also come to favor living in urban areas over rural areas, preferring to move to a small unit that if rent increases overall as well as being closer to a city center as affordability dictates.

I also like to travel, and I do not want to have travel plans dictated by client schedules.

Mine are what the city dictates, which are a lot looser than what most people would impose.  

Or you still do it on the purchase price of 100,000The 2% rule means that if your place can rent for $2,000, you should be "all in" with purchase + rehab for no more than $100,000.You cannot dictate market rent, the market does, so you look at rent first then look to purchase price + rehab costs.