I've also heard about rolling over some money into a self directed IRA to invest in real estate, but that doesn't really solve my problem. 

For your first rental property, starting in an area you're familiar with can make the learning process easier, as you’ll better understand the market and can handle issues directly.

Your ire should not be directed at rental property investing, but increases in your expenses.

Although I’ve been investing in real estate, both directly and indirectly for 45+ years, I still get a “queasy” feeling when an investment does not perform as expected.My “aha” moment occurs when we reach the point when, despite the investment problems, we’re able to still show a good/substantial profit at the end of our holding period.  

In the manufactured home industry, I've heard more complaints about new homes being bought and installed straight from the factory than consumers buying older homes direct from homeowners. 

I don't like AI descriptions (sorry @Andrew Steffens).They look and sound completely like it was written by a bot, which it was.I like to write my own copy for listings and I respond directly to all guests, inquiries and issues.

Wholesaling can be a great way to learn a market and build capital, but holding rentals can provide steady cash flow and equity growth over time—especially in markets like Detroit, where entry prices are lower and rents are solid relative to costs.If you’d like to learn more about navigating Detroit, feel free to reach out—I’m happy to share some resources or insights from my experience.Best of luck in whichever direction you choose!

None of this directly relates to landlords reporting rent payments. 

Sent you a direct message/connection request 

You can easily find this online but I will message you directly with some additional info.