Since you’re still figuring out where to invest, look for areas with strong rental demand, good schools, low crime, and potential for future growth.

This vary heavily town to town. 20% down is great if buying strictly as investment but if you have a way of owner occupying I would explore that route and apply the 20% down to increasing value of property and instead using low money down loan. 

We found a property in a neighborhood we really like that had a "For Rent" sign.

Or we gradually perform high-quality updates for a live-in flip, then roll the equity into a new home.Regarding rental income, we aim to boost income, lower our effective tax rate by generating more low tax-drag income with rental income (since there’s not much we can do to lower out W2 tax bills) and have retirement cash flow.To compare the financial impact over 10-20 years, we want to analyze renting versus flipping.

@James Tobin  yes FHA will be a very low downpayment option for you.

Great weather and very low crime rate.I am humbly looking for seasoned syndicators and sponsors to  advice or team up with me on this new venture.

The home is in a B class neighborhood, in a good school district, and walking distance to parks.

If you do something that is too high end or bold compared to what is available in the neighborhood, the exit could be very difficult 

Before investing here I suggest you read The Ultimate Guide to Grading Cleveland Neighborhoods to get yourself an understanding on the market.

Focus on smaller single-family homes, condos with low HOA fees, or multi-family properties in these regions, and build a reliable local team of agents, property managers, and other professionals to ensure a smooth investing experience.