With proper tenant screening and systems in place you can absolutely be a successful landlord.

I have had a good experience with Proper Insurance.   

that we’ve learned in our 24 years, managing almost 700 doors across the Metro Detroit area, including almost 100 S8 leases:Class A Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, 3-5 years for positive cashflow, but you get highest relative rent & value appreciation.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, 5% the more recent norm.Tenant Pool: Majority will have FICO scores of 680+ (roughly 5% probability of default), zero evictions in last 7 years.Class B Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, decent amount of relative rent & value appreciation.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, 5% should be applied only if proper research done to support.Tenant Pool: Majority will have FICO scores of 620-680 (around 10% probability of default), some blemishes, but should have no evictions in last 5 yearsClass C Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, high cashflow and at the lower end of relative rent & value appreciation.

This ensures you have a clear picture of what repairs are needed and helps avoid surprises during the rehab.

Also, what’s the best way to ensure the area is safe and desirable for tenants?

If you don't know how to do this properly it can be detrimental. 

Proper time tracking and logs are critical for demonstrating compliance with this rule.I've only seen one person with a W-2 qualify for reps, and that was from a tax court case where people had to come in in person and attest to his hard work.

You may have heard that staging your home properly can make a big difference when you sell your house, but what exactly is home staging, and is it really worth your time and effort?

The challenge is knowing how to scope out the renovations properly and understand your construction costs. 

Our biggest problem is getting her out so we can do a proper rehab 60 days of dead dime waiting for her to vacate is not Ideal obviously.