My goal is to maintain a certain amount (2-4x the size of the equity required alongside debt )as we pursue deals.

@Kole Kingslien, each property is listed separately on the Schedule E, so I would highly recommend maintaining separate records for each property.

We have a clause in our leases that landscape is extra $x.xx per month or the tenant can agree to maintain.

We don't own any condos or townhomes in our portfolio, but having personally lived in both, they tend to attract no-maintenance types who either have busy professional/personal lives, not enough money to afford to live in a standalone home in the area, looking for included amenities (pools, tennis courts, etc), or don't want/don't know how to fix & maintain anything. 

There are cons to the condo (HOA and cost as mentioned above), but I find that it is more convenient to manage remotely because all of the amenities are maintained by someone else.

Our house has been well maintained and not a lot of work needed to move in renters. 

Do property managers play a large role in obtaining or maintaining certification?

Look at all of the newer large companies, they don't make mention at all of what they do: Google, eBay, Cisco, Amazon, etc. 

If your buying power falls, so does your ability to maintain the same standard of living.Below is another example where Property B starts with a higher initial return, but because rents do not keep pace with inflation, buying power declines below property A. 

They are responsible for maintaining the black water drain.