There are almost no aspect of real estate that I have not been apart in my 10 years in the real estate business.

Appreciation is but one aspect of real estate investing and youre banking on that bailing you out of this bad investment.   

As soon as I try to learn one aspect of the process, I find another step that I "need" to understand before doing anything.  

It sounds like you have not yet determined or defined who gets what (how profit is split amongst the partners). 

Long term rentals don't, but viability is defined differently from one investor to the next.

Clayton mentions other areas in his podcast, so I asked about them but the rep said they are currently only doing business in the Marion County area, with possibilities to expand elsewhere later.Not worried about the C class neighborhood aspect or distance, as long as the property management team is strong, experienced and LOCAL. 

I recommend the latter because it has practical information about all aspects of management, but it also teaches you where to read your actual state laws.

Quote from @Calvin Thomas: It's $99 for a professionally designed, 50-page workbook and five hours of coaching people on all aspects of life, not just real estate.

Some general advice:1) Define your criteria (budget, location, # of units, cash flow, CoC return, etc)2) Connect with investor-friendly lenders to explore your financing options and pick the best for you.3) Analyze properties before seeing them in person to see if they pass the "sniff test"4) Be patient with the search5) Don't bite off more than you can chew6) Have enough reserves to handle unforeseen expenses7) Run your numbers conservatively8) Don't look exclusively for "home run" deals or you'll likely be disappointed

In my area I actually advise against A class SFH as their are so few people who earn enough to pay premium rents , defined locally as excess of $2000 per mo… and those who do earn that much will much rather own a house.