I wanted to introduce myself and my company, Handy Central, to everyone. 

A lot of the things a mortgage company requires is to protect their financial interests (and subsequently protect you also)....getting title insurance, a survey, an assessment/inspection, and requiring home owner's insurance. 

I've learned that I'd rather grow at a slower rate and not be at the mercy of lenders and insurance companies that will gouge you every chance they get. 

If you aren't doing this with an LLC or other company, then the money is "still all yours" - you can freely do as you please with those funds (once the rents accrue enough for you to have a comfort level).I would suggest you contact a good accountant (CPA) knowledgeable in real estate matters to assist you with starting up your accounting system for this rental.

This includes examining the structural integrity, plumbing, electrical systems, roof condition, HVAC systems, and any other significant features.Title Search: Hire a title company or attorney to perform a title search on the property.

Do any of you have recommendations for solid:-contractors-insurance agents-attorneys-property management company-mortgage brokers?

Look for lenders with competitive interest rates, favorable terms, and a good reputation for customer service.

Knowing things like median income for an area,  median rent , population growth, unemployment and investment of companies are some information that id like to research.  

Great company and local operation that does things right.Toledo is notorious for bad operators especially when it comes to contractors so the BRRR approach when investing out of state can end up in disaster.Just had a 1hr call with an investor that was going to purchase a property for cash and site unseen.A "reputable" realtor in town influenced him to buy without doing an inspection.Just by looking at the photo's, we could see a lot of problems with the property.Stay diligent and focus more on the people rather then the deals themselves.Much success 

The City has a reputation of having a strong investment market that draws out of State investors for a reason, but it takes time to learn how to execute it properly.