Even though they cover all the costs, you'll still have to pay for closing expenses, about 3-5% of the loan amount.These loans are better for people who know their way around real estate, not so much for first-time buyers or those new to this game.Talk to a money expert, check out different lenders before you decide, understand all the risks, and look into other options like FHA or VA loans—they might be a better fit, depending on your situation.

I think a walk in shower would look much better, but obviously it would be a lot more expensive and it’s the only shower/ tub in the house so I’m not sure if tenants would want or need a tub in the house (especially if they have little kids).

That may make the sale “too expensive” for you.  

Median house price is already pretty high, which could slow me down considerably especially at the beginning of my journey.

As I started entering expenses, it occurred to me that there were more expenses than I thought. 

Make sure the rental income comfortably covers your mortgage, taxes, and other expenses.

In terms of taking on more liability, it boils down to what insurance will be less expensive and looking at what we are having to pay through the HOA (for insuring the aggregate of all units), it will likely be cheaper for owners to purchase individual HO3 policies to cover their units (as townhouses) as the carriers would not be taking on the risk of the entire $100M+ in aggregate replacement value, and the owners can take out policies for individual units with a whole range of carriers vs the HOA trying to get coverage through the secondary market.  

First, the cons of C-class, aside from section 8, C-class has more fluctuation in price, more tenant problems (vacancy expenses, evictions, etc), and local crime.

National STR Property Management companies are good, sometimes necessary, but also prohibitively expensive.

Hey Jay, I moved to Columbus a few years ago (from Portland, Oregon which was super expensive) to become a full time real estate investor, and ever since, I've completed quite a lot of BRRRRs, flips, and own a successful rental portfolio here in Columbus Ohio.