They are quick and responsive in terms of providing a quote, doing paperwork, and then answering questions, but I haven't actually had an issue yet.

At $350,000+ you might be in the top 10% of rentals, which is not where most investors want to be.I don't think I would just look at growth rates in a small town and determine that is where I want to invest without knowing a lot more about that town. 

Anyone out there have any contacts they can provide?

Unfortunately our new payment provider does not allow for holds, so we offer damage waivers. 

In the future I will probably add the card in addition to keeping the coin to cover all customer needs and provide better tracking of machine usage.

Longevity in the property is where the reality comes into play.If you have a resident renting for 12 months and they pay the whole amount but move out, you will have to repair the property back to that top-of-the-market $800 range to be competitive.

I could swing a 5-10% down payment from my savings and then use a heloc provided I can find a deal

Go to BUILD YOUR TEAM at the top of the screen and look for local investors or meetups in your area.

I'd like to live in the top half with my family of 3 kids and my wife.

Property management companies often receive volume discounts and priority service due to the volume of work we provide to these vendors.