There are big benefits in holding a property rather than buying a new one such as that the property taxes will be lower due to not being reassessed as they are on sale.

BTW, your profile says you pride yourself on "...gathering as much information on a property as possible". but in your quote above you say that as an investor I need to lower my expectations for a Realtor.Again, if I have established with a realtor that I am a legit buyer, a cash buyer sometimes, and if they want me to work with them, they need to provide details for me without me always having to beg.  

What if you buy a lower cost property?

So the people who just bought expensive properties panicked and lowered their prices and they are competing with people that have owned their properties for years and have higher profit margins.

I like to set rentals up for lower maintenance long term as much as possible.

However, lower down payments typically result in higher monthly payments and PMI, so it's best to explore various options and consider all associated costs.If you decide to rent out your current home, consider whether self-managing the property or using a service would be the best fit for you both.

It may boost your income by giving you opportunity to earn commissions on real estate transactions in addition to imparting useful knowledge.Start with small-scale real estate endeavors.

Dayton had a lower price point and less investors competing. 

Attorney (had two different ones on previous transactions) was good and would use again (Jonathan Lasser).

If you think your tenants will be hard on your floors, will have dogs etc it may make the most sense to go with durable LVP so you have lower maintenance costs in the long run and the floors stay looking nice, longer.