Those can indicate poor management, deferred maintenance, difficult and expensive upkeep like ocean front which will bring up issues with rising oceans, insurance, and hurricanes. 

Low down payment (3.5%) is attractive, but comes with mortgage insurance and might not offer the best rates.

@Kathie Mata   appliance insurance may work in some places, in my area is quite slow to show up.   

Many stockbrokers and insurance salesmen are not fiduciaries. 

I guess it's just too many factors to consider and it easy to get overwhelmed and cannot get accurate info and estimation when I conduct analysis (ex. property tax rate, insurance, maintenance fee, rent, repair, closing cost, etc.) 

I’m starting to lean more towards private lending as a way to get my toes wet and get my money working for me in a relatively stable way.I’m looking for educational resources or literature.

Maybe it is more difficult if the damage was more serious like fire or flood but it goes same with any insurance claim.

Once you have a property under your belt and it's stable, do it again.

A really nice home with some extra touches (a little granite, better flooring, nicer paint job, nicer cabinets, etc.) compared to the area will make potential tenants fall in love with the place.  2) Tenants that bring or can swing their own appliances are more financially stable (or just stable in general, ha!)

Compare this to your total monthly costs, including mortgage, insurance, taxes, vacancy and maintenance.