What I am looking for is the ability to review (hopefully in Excel) the prices, square footage, number of bedrooms, etc.  

Daniel Dietz makes some excellent addtional points.  

Excellent job saving!

I have an excellent credit score.

It's also excellent that you have a mentor.

Look for good companies and excellent property management, which is even more important than the market you choose.

Water bill for the month is $100.Unit 1: ($100 * 1/2) * (2 tenants / 5 tenants) + ($100 * 1/2) * (1000 sqft / 1500 sqft) = $63.33Unit 2: ($100 * 1/2) * (3 tenants / 5 tenants) + ($100 * 1/2) * (500 sqft / 1500 sqft) = $36.67This third method is much more complex to do, but a simple Excel spreadsheet can help alleviate the headache of doing this monthly.There are other ones you can do, like bathroom total ratios, dishwasher vs no dishwasher / washing machine vs no washing machine if the units differ.In the end, you recoup the full cost of the utility bills and bill it as rent + Utility usage (variable) (Check with local landlord laws to determine if you are able to do this).

I do have my own property that I bought almost 2 years ago a decent paying job and excellent credit .

We've got 20%+ down with excellent credit.

But, building "good" or "excellent" credit can take years or decades.