But you don't need to be in expensive areas either.  

Limit your risk by purchasing an inexpensive single family home that is completely conforming to be either an owner occupied or a rental.

They are inexpensive but you will get low intent sellers that youwill need to filter and nurture.Irecommend finding a good guru course and sticking to it, partnering with another investor/or working for one, or have someone on hand that is knowledgeable that you can pester :)

It’s also the career tenants who live in inexpensive housing because it’s all they can afford who are far more inclined to take advantage of liberal landlord tenant laws and that's going to be a minority of the tenant base if you invest in gateway cities.

I bought top of the line if I say the name they might delete ,I like the  product a lot for rentals put it in expensive SFH and cheaper ones .

And, while buying off-market properties sounds appealing, purchasing a property solely because it's inexpensive may not provide the results you are seeking.

While 3-5% increase is the tolerable 'nice' approach, it isn't on you to absorb market increases in expenses if you aren't on a yearly lease with your tenants.  

Even better, spend a few hours in the forums at degreeinfo.com learning how to get a degree quickly and relatively inexpensively. 

If location isn't a big factor (does not seem to be based on original post) I would highly recommend looking into building a barndonium or shouse in an an area where you can get a tract of land fairly inexpensive and has little zoning regs and requirements.

Do you have enough time in these that you can show consistent trends in expenses and vacancy rates?