Would anyone recommend purchasing a bigger house for a higher purchase price or a biggest house I can get for the cheapest price?

My biggest concern is you actually have a good deal and inconsistent data raises red flags.  

Despite them paying the majority of the bills, you'll still be stuck with other expenses and no revenue to cover it.

There are also 5 down units that we plan to bring online in the first few months of ownership to immediately increase revenue.

Quickbooks: Profit is defined as revenue less expenses.

What has been your biggest lesson?

Owning a home that you can’t tangibly visit nor keep an eye on the day to day happenings adds a whole other dynamic to the investment.I think the biggest key to making long distance investments a success is having a rockstar property manager that cares about the property as if it was their own and holds a standard at or above what you as the owner would.

NorthEast and MidWest regions are losing population - New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Illinois, and West Virginia are the biggest population drainers6.

Biggest thing with this approach is to make sure you're communicating the same scope of work to the different companies so that your bids will be apples to apples.

It is one of my biggest pet peeves when people fail to communicate or stay in touch or follow up.