From what I've been told, its cheaper than going up. 

I am not sure how much I have saved from having very limited turnover but I know it is more than the few thousand dollars I may have saved by going with a 'cheaper' home by a provider who doesn't get the big picture.

Unfortunately it sounds like they cannot afford the home anymore, and with that large of a change in income, a change in lifestyle is in order meaning a cheaper home.

As a new investor lowest barrier to entry might be the USDA loan house hacking option and the PMI is cheaper

Lack of communication is a red flag.Remember: cheaper doesn't mean you'll make more money.Start by going to www.narpm.org to search their directory of managers.

I will be traveling across the US to a better housing market, I have access to the MLS for every state which is cheaper than hiring a realtor and will make my journey better and faster. 

We see people from other states buying here because of cheaper prices and cheaper taxes. 

I prefer LVP on the stairs because carpet wears quickly with people walking in the same path and scraping their feet, but it's situation dependent.I prefer quartz counters for a rental because there are more color options, they don't require maintenace, and cheaper up front.I avoid steel appliances except in high-end rentals.

I normally use carpet on the stairs in rental properties as it is a lot cheaper to install and absorbs a lot more noise in hallways, etc.

Also, rents in Cali are roughly 25%-30% cheaper than Medellin, not the best fact in terms of generating high NOI, but with high NOIs we get high property valuations.