I'm thinking maybe some of my numbers are wrong or I have some unrealistic expectations of expenses and rent.

That said, you might check on the price tags on houses in Tulsa compared to Philly to understand the different sale and rent range for these areas. 

If not then lower your monthly rent a little and charge them if it makes you happier.

Where are your flex properties located?

Most locations you have to pay to get online access to all of the property records or you can go to the court house to access them in person for free.

Then we’d move back into our current home, finish the reno, and rent after 12 months.Thanks!

For me its realatviley close to my primary location which I would like to be in decent driving distance for out of state investments.

Any company insuring your properties without an inspection most likely has a clause buried deep in their policy allowing them to deny claims for conditions found on the property that do not meet their UW standards and they will deny you claim based on "the house should have not been insured with them anyway".Although the inspections can be annoying look at it from the other side.You pay them 1000 to 3000 a year to insure a rental property where they agree to pay out possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars if it burns down or up to 1 million if a tenant slips on a bananna peel and falls down the steps or the tenants dog bites someone and since you didn't enforce the tenant having their own renters policy to cover the dog bite the landlord's policy is paying out.The insurance company is very much like your rich uncle backing your business venture - you run the business, he takes on the financial risk from disasters, and doesn't even get a say in who lives in the property.Your rich uncle asking you to fix the steps, put up a handrail, etc which is in your and his best interest long term.Do you really want to rent out a property with a busted front step and a bad roof that is going to leak sooner than later?

Location MattersIndianapolis has some neighborhoods that are seeing rapid growth, but choosing the right one can make or break your investment.

Prices and rents continue to increase steadily.Sales - $/SqFt by Month(Click to enlarge.)The median sales $/SF was up 9% YoY and 6.7% YTD.Rentals - $/SqFt by MonthRents rose 4.3% YoY and 6% YTD.The Market Remains HotFollowing the rapid inventory decline starting in Q1, the number of days on the market for sales remained below 17 and for rentals below 19, indicating strong demand for both.Sales - List to Contract Days by MonthRentals - List to Contract Days by MonthRental trends tend to follow sales.