Cash purchases should be avoided, you will loose credibility with your partner.A cash withdrawal from the company account might be broken out for small supply purchases, for example, or copying a key, but each purchase must be verified with the receipt; receipts will match the total cash withdrawal.  

Also wondering what I should deduct from the deposit since the countertop isn’t new, however, it was immaculate when the tenant moved in.Any advice welcome.

The $2400 was my earnest money deposit. 

I am using home possible conventional and my offers includes - $3K above the highest offer up to where the cash on cash is lower the 10%, higher initial deposit $5K and higher inspection repair contegencie (anything above 15k) and quick closing.

Maintenance of of the property (including landscaping), proper termination of lease, adding/removing tenants or animals, dealing with damages and deposits, and more. 

Utility companies normally let tenants get pretty far behind before the landlord is notified- if the utility company puts a lien on the property for unpaid bills, it is better to have closer control over the bills- If there is a water leak or other problem with the property, the tenant doesn't have to bear the costDisadvantages of having utilties in owner names:- If tenants start using a lot more water/power, it is more difficult to quickly adjust rent or get them to conserve- with pandemic or other freezes on rent or evictions, there is no recourse for utility increases- if the tenant qualifies for low income utility pricing, it has to be in their nameOnce you decide what your guiding principle is, you can align your current rental agreement to match.

I have seen mixed forum posts on the Pocono area, so I am curious if Airdna matches up with the results that most of you are seeing.

Also, per Ohio law (where my rentals are) you cannot be reimbursed for wear and tear items from the security deposit.  

I would want a bigger deposit in case they caused any damage to the pool.

If it's the first time you are driving for dollars, how did you quantify that 15 properties matched what you are looking for?