Are you working with a Realtor, or negotiating directly with the seller?  

Being that this is your first property, I would recommend being less than a day away so you can see the property whenever you need to, and if there are any problems you can go directly to the management company and discuss without hesitation or much planning.  

I'll reach out directly.

Direct action would theoretically receive immediate resolution. 

They need to change their methods and deposit directly to your bank in person or to you in person if their current process isn't working.  

Direct mail and door knocking have worked very well for me.

How do I get direction?  

My initial plan was to flip it, but due to the uncertainty of the market direction at the moment, I decided to keep it as a rental and refinance it to cash out my investment cash: 70K + 5K Fixed Costs + 25K Rehab = 100K 125K x .8 = 100K the #s makes this a solid BRRR deal.

Financial info about me:I have my own home directly next to a hospital where I work in Baltimore, MD (I work as a Nurse).  

I wanted to quick ask what people have found to be the most economical solution to replacing water heaters for 1 and 2 bedroom apartments.