Last year, they ceased syndication with Zillow for marketing and it's killing me. 

I think it's a great market to enter with so many catalysts for growth! 

I suggest talking with @Connor Gillen who has a strong grasp of the market up there

We spent four years in a duplex, maintaining it in our rental portfolio as we transitioned to another house hack residence with an additional accessory dwelling unit-type house next door.Navigating the intricacies of FHA loans in competitive real estate markets can be daunting, given stringent home requirements and more complex processes.

The value adds and the market appreciation profits pale the cash flow (this is even with a duplex that cash flows over $5K/month).

In the Phoenix, AZ market Ceiling Fans are very popular and definitely increase the desirability of a property.

The American market isn't strictly RE driven. 

Evening from Alaska, My business partner and I are new to real estate investing and trying to get our first deal going in a high-interest rate market.

Yes, you have read that correctly. 3 Trillion $ market cap. 

These areas are more stable, but you would have to put effort into finding below market deals.