I've driven all over the east side of the country to study different markets and how they relate to one another. 

Getting 1% return I would be receiving $4400/month in rent, have 4 appreciating homes, and still maintain 20% down on all of them. 

Advantages , no furnace to maintain , the odds of every electric baseboard heater failing at once are slim .  

For those that do not keep a home warranty, how much cash reserves do you maintain for each of your properties?

A way you can do this is by researching the population growth, employment, type of housing stock, costs of ownership, etc in each market.Once you have chosen the market you want to invest in, thoroughly study it.

This will give beginners a real world case study.  

I currently work as a mortgage specialist for a big bank and have completed my course studies for my RE lic (just waiting probably 4 more weeks to get my test date but everything is in to get my license once I pass).

Though studying and learning are great, the best and most usable knowledge comes from pounding the street, talking to others, listening to their successes and failures, and not being afraid to DO it!

Study hard and let's talk in a couple months.

Most of the people we work with rely on their management companies to market, clean and maintain their properties.