For the most part, the safer areas near downtown are extremely expensive from a rental stand point, but suburbs such as Belmont, Mount Holly, Pineville, Mathews, and Concord have much more attractive prices.

RUBS is the cost-effective alternative to sub metering. 

It was our offer that made the deal attractive to seller because we could close quickly.

Because of those requirements I've found credit unions and regional banks as a very good alternative - they can be more flexible and offer competitive interest rates.

Good tenants are the result of:Targeting the right tenant poolSelecting property properties that attract your target tenant poolA skilled property managerHow do you determine the right tenant pool that will support your financial goals?

What are some of the strategies to rent out this house out in such a neighborhood (C+ to B-) as I"m worried it won't attract a renter that will has good credit and pay on time.

My questions to you is, whats the alternative?

Honestly,this doesn't look very attractive from a cash flow perspective giving the large downpayment.

As an alternative, there are some programs that can write a $2M$4M General Liability on the property. 

@Dustin McGuirk I just moved from Portland to Phoenix, and the Buckeye market here is attracting a ton of attention.