First, don't look at it as "10 properties", look at it as a total dollar amount that can be used for a larger property or properties.Second, I don't like portfolio loans. 

also I’d take into account risk - you have a mortgage even if it isn’t rented so you will need larger cash reserves. 

If you earn enough to qualify for a >$1m mortgage, you will be over that income limit, this works out to being a pretty hard and fast rule too.So it's basically stick to SFR and duplexes, put the time/energy/work into finding something off-market (no listing agent, not on MLS, not on redfin, not on zillow, etc) for dirt cheap (25% off of what it would sell for on the MLS should do it), or save up 20%.

Over a large volume of tenants its better to make sure your building has generous move-in conditions (because your competitors sure do) especially when the building is new and getting it filled to 100% as quickly as possible is the #1 goal.These larger PM operators have found that good credit scores + good income means = low risk for damages or non payment of rent.Now the question is can this work in lower income properties?  

What kind of junior anchors and large anchors are around the site (junior might be Starbucks freestanding, Mcdonalds, Chick Fil a, national brand gas station) or larger anchors ( Super Walmart, Home Depot, Publix, Lowe's, Costco, Target, etc.)You need to know how valuable your site is.

Since the down payment % is so low, you can afford to buy a much larger property (more units) than you would have been able to putting 20 or 25% down.

Yet another option would be to try to work out a lease to own option where maybe you can give him some type of larger down payment now and have your "rent" go towards paying off the property over a fixed period of time (obviously lots of legal and logistical issues here).

I called the energy company, they treated it as an emergency, and I met them at the place immediately.

For instance: you might offer a larger down payment for a smaller monthly payment.

In a SFR people will expect larger rooms but renters may be willing to compromise.