Nothing sexy about these at all except that they're about as bullet proof as you can get in this market.

To add to @Shawn Clark point... there’s supposed to be a high speed DC-Baltimore train coming (who knows when) that’ll take you from city to city in 15 minutes: https://www.google.com/amp/s/dc.curbed.com/platform/amp/2017/10/16/16482438/dc-baltimore-bullet-train-shinkansenI️ have a rental in Baltimore that I’ve seen great cash flow with and I’m looking for more.

Otherwise, you might have to bite the bullet and pay for bookkeeping services.

There's no right or wrong answer, but I'd encourage you to really nail down your priorities re: time, energy, engagement, and returns.

On the other end of the spectrum, you find the {near}vacant building, buy it for nearly nothing, and give it a deep retrofit (energy efficiency improvements, layout improvements, update core systems, and refinish throughout).  

For me personally, I only work with a handful of investors as they/we require more time and energy than the owner occupied buyer.

LLCs do offer you a measure of protection from claims but are not absolutely bullet proof.

We used to be a team full of youth, energy, and radiance until this one came along.

Good news: your screening process has screened them out.....Check your local rules (or with a professional), but if you did not run credit, I would not give them anything other than a polite "thanks for applying"...I would not reward this behavior with any more of your time or energy. 

Rather than tell the whole story, I'll give you the bullet points: Bought first rental property in 2014, have managed it on my own since.