If you can save up 20% down in a low-cost market like Cleveland, you could use a DSCR loan to secure financing while you still don't have any stable income. 

This will still qualify for a residential mortgage and you have a better shot of completely offsetting your entire payment.

I took no money from the cash flow (when there was any) and I never made a late payment to the bank.This fall, nearly 12 years after the bank gave me that house, and over 15 years after I knocked on that door - after evictions, vacancies, insurance claims, and never taking a dime out of it - I sold that house and placed all of the proceeds in a 1031 exchange.

-Decreased security deposit to 1x for MTR.

Poor rental payment history is a common cause for non renewal. 

Just dont miss payments and you will be fine!  

Booking.com tends to be more hands on since you have to setup up a payment processor and take payments from guests.

Also go through a servicing company for payments to the seller, escrow can probably help you out with a recommendation for that. 

If my spouse wasn’t opposed to moving I would try to buy a new house hack every 12-15 months and use low down payment owner occupied loans for as long as it made sense.

I’ve just heard horror stories from landlords and I’m looking for suggestions on how to best vet tenants - Good credit, no missed rental payments in last 5 years, etc.