Or anyone have suggestions of alternative routes to the normal path most new brokers take to find a mentor? 

I think this is a very creative alternative because most people will wait until the last day."

You never mentioned what I call "percentage expenses", which include Maintenance (10%), Capital Expenses (CapEx) (10%), Vacancies (your choice for your market - anywhere from 2% to 10%), and Property Management (again, based on the market - say 8%).Broken down:Maintenance - expect an average of 10% of your income to be spent on general maintenance.

With 60 days notice, you may offer to transport them to another dwelling of their choice. 

We are buy and hold investors, so my husband and I are particular about craftsmanship and reno choices.

So unless your plan is to move into one of these homes you might need to look into alternative funding options.

I agree there are very few REALLY bad areas in Iowa, but some property managers do shy away from a few areas which it sounds like your property manager of choice is saying.  

I figured most people would choose #4 and it would have been my choice as well.

As someone with ADHD, self-employment is more necessity than choice.

Yeah, this falls into "lifestyle choice" - they can do whatever they want.