Will you prevail in the long run?

Home run.

Sellers motivation shouldn't factor in what you can afford, thats a bonus if they will negotiate, but your numbers have to make sense to you and work out for multiple exit strategies (str, ltr, sell etc)Running the purchase numbers is pretty straightforward, use almost any online mortgage calculator, make sure you know taxes and insurance (taxes will go up a bit if it is currently owner occupied and you don't plan to live in it) Once you know your mortgage amount then start looking at other STR's in the same area and same size/amenities and see what they are getting per night and how many nights a month they are rented to calculate what you MAY be able to get.

What would you guys recommend for me to get my foot in the door.

I have 9 doors across Memphis and Detroit at this point.

The best run Class D properties are usually owner-operator run.

@Kyryl Sokolov we know the Metro Detroit area VERY well, in business 24 years, manage over 700 doors or which almost 100 are Section 8.1) Yes, you are a bit off on this expectation.

With four operational STRs running out of it, the estimated cap rate will be 15-17%.

Looking to gain experience on analyzing deal and running numbers

As you do that, you should analyze deals with your agent/deal finder daily and run the numbers.Being a new investor can be intimidating but every great investor felt that way when starting out.