If its prevalent throughout, is it worth walking away from the purchase? 

We are fully committed to FI and want to pursue as part of our income streams rental investment properties.

I also knew I wanted to buy multiple properties and eventually self manage so fewer, larger properties was much more appealing from a time commitment perspective. 

Why would you want to commit to a home purchase without an income? 

Hopefully we get word that they're going to commit soon!

@Edgar Ehrsam much more valuable IMO to work under someone who’s making a lot of $ and will let you participate on a high level and is committed to mentoring you

Sometimes all the above at the same time.For whatever reason, the same is not as prevalent with duplex's/triplex's... perhaps because there are more of them? 

Do read the lease, make sure they are not one sided stacked lease when you commit to honoring the lease terms.  

To a certain extent, anyone can find a listed property, run some numbers in excel that yield a great return, but brokers and sellers are very risk adverse and typically you are going to have to be outbidding an experienced sponsor by a fairly wide margin to be awarded deals.But, if you can come to a broker with some investor commitment letters up front, your offer is taken much more seriously and therefore you might be able to get better pricing.

The hardest part is just committing to getting that first property.We live in Lakeland (right between Orlando and Tampa).