Realistically, if rents can't keep up with costs over the longer term, fewer people will buy rentals and there will be fewer options for those who can't afford to or choose not to own a home.

No the rates are not on par with conventional when you figure in additional costs and pre-payment penalties. 

Triple Net leases allow the Landlord to pass Operating Expenses (primarily comprised of Property Taxes, Insurance, Common Area Maintenance, Snow Removal and Property Management) directly through to the Tenants of the property on a pro-rata basis. 

This can save you from costly mistakes.

We're both on board with the idea now - my question is around how to make the purchase and structure the agreement...we both want to go in 50/50 towards a conventional loan and then have it managed by a property manager. 

If you are comparing the same exact interest rates then 20% will cost 1.625 -1.75 points more than a 25% down payment. 

I've seen a lot of conflicting advice that cautions to avoid areas with high crime rates due to complications and extra costs from the tenant base and property crime.I understand that both cities have shown crime rate improvements, but their overall rates are still way above average.What makes these cities attractive for investment despite this?

Even though I have no experience other than renting out and managing my first primary home, my interest in real estate pushes me to educate myself upon this topic.With a very high barrier to entry where I live in Northern Virginia, especially for first-time investors just starting out with small budgets, that is why I have been focusing on out-of-state investing in real estate and also have been reading a lot about the BRRRR strategy.

Pros: - Low upfront cost- Very high profitability (we average 23k per deal of profit) and the ROI is AMAZING- Sustainability - so many land owners out there don't want their landCons- Can take 4-6 months or so to see results- Marketing is expensive, we send mail to acquire properties.

Partner Driven financed the Cypress Place deal using its own capital, covering the $290,000 purchase price and $20,000 in renovation costs.