From there, you have to decide whether you want to be a landlord or hire a property manager.

Sorry to hear your self managing isn't going as planned...finding good tenants is tricky!

I generally work with home owners looking for long term management, but I do work with a local broker with access to off-market deals, and he sees a lot of activity in the area.

I learned it was possible to buy investment properties and manage myself from a distance.

You can structure it as an LLC or joint venture, which offers clearer tax and liability benefits.Your son doesn’t need to be on the loan or title if he's a silent partner, and you can manage the mortgage, credit, and insurance.

Many of these homes in the midwest can be old, and have deferred maintenance and the management of these assets (ie. handling Detroit winters) is often where the deal is made or missed.

In the 65 units we manage we have both. 

My first thing is to start built relationships with realtors and property managers.

Even competent 3rd party management can only mitigate, not necessarily address many of the issues that arise when owning lower tier properties & population growth alone is not a magic pill. 

The paid off student rental plus the 2nd student rental helps pays off the mortage for 2nd student rentals and living expenses for me and my wife. the duplex was  cash flowing approx  $300 month with the old tenants We manage everything ourselves with some help from our family.