There is no one size fits all approach to real estate investing. 

Or why would they not price drop to be competitive in the area where the size of the home medium prices are around 550k.any good insight would be great to hear.

When you reach a certain size, experience and expertise you’re able to eliminate personal guarantees.  

Are there any comparable size units that are available or been recently rented in the area?

This is not a business you just go in and know how to manage a property manager, besides, a PM for a property the size you can buy in CA will probably charge you more than the property nets.Search online for syndicators who professionally manage multifamily properties, but do your due diligence on them to be sure anyone you invest with is experienced, structures their deals fairly and and has references you can check. 

They'll take around 8-15% (depending on the size of the property) of your monthly rent, and don't give you the chance to learn more about REI directly hands on.

See what they are going for with similar amenities and size.

I think this takes more time and has a lower success rate than actually going to auction - but I plan to do this with the ones that have something "great" about them - location, size, condition etc.

We are actively buying mid to large size multifamily in the Harrisonburg / Shenandoah Valley markets.

Access to amenities: Columbus is a mid-sized city with a range of amenities, including cultural attractions, sports teams, and a number of universities.