THEY ARE STEALING FROM YOU (remember your remark about him not even getting a fast food/entry level job? 

It was high rent, low entry point area but within 6 months I dealt with an eviction and electrical issues.

.- not sure of your home market but i assume you are choosing ohio for its lower cost.  

Which is why I pay more, for less cash flow in highly desirable areas.In high income areas, rent is a lower proportion of income so therefore your tenants have a higher capacity for paying higher rent because rent is less than 20% or even 10% of their income.

Lower appreciation than single family home

My sons are of homebuying age but the barriers to entry are so much higher than they ever were before.

The best defense against rats entering your property is to seal off all entry points (holes, cracks in walls), remove food sources (dirty dishes, food left in trash cans), and water sources (like leaks). 

These areas can offer great opportunities for investors, often providing better cash flow and lower entry prices compared to LA itself. 

I hope to use private capital to fund the entry fees in second position.  

An example of one package we have is a Romantic Package - $199. 12 Balloons (buy the helium tanks and keep balloons on site for your team or use a local shop)Rose Petal Entry Way (bought off Amazon)2 Dozen Roses (local grocery store for $10-15 each dozen)Led Candle Display (bought off amazon and reusable)I Heart U Signs (amazon and reusable)Champagne (or wine if they want)This equals around $60-70 each time and we pay our cleaner $40 to set up.