Welcome to the forum Edward!

I've been searching properties for a variety of ideas for almost two years now and never pulled the trigger.  

Hi Jahid, glad to have you as a part of this awesome community!

While cool - seems like overkill of costs.

There are a few other options and long shots I can think of, but I am wondering if anyone might have other ideas or insights?

That's one of the lessons in First to a Million  in fact.

These allow you to bundle renovation costs, and if the post-renovation value meets 20% equity, you may be able to avoid PMI.

The first purchase is always a huge learning experience.

MInut has a low average review (mid-3s I think) on Amazon which is a bit of a red flag. 1 per room at a total of $60/month sounds excessive for something that is not likely to be a common occurrence. 

Don't invest out of state unless you KNOW the neighborhood.