Of course it's all about comfort level and what kind of rentals you buy but you can certainly play it safe and do waaaay less than 100% cash.

Don't skip the learning phase though, you have a great opportunity and if you can ensure you are knowledgeable and understand what you are jumping in to before you actually do it, then you will greatly increase your chance of success. 

On weekends, knock on doors - find a partner if you aren't comfortable going alone, lenders can be great pals.

These issues are bound to happen.I would suggest learning more about real estate so that you are more comfortable with becoming a landlord.

@Brandon McMullin - what are you comfortable with and what are your goals?

What things can I do now to ensure that we are hitting the ground running on this rental property?

I'm getting more comfortable with living there,  its such a huge difference from living in the NYC. 

A income fund will comfortably generate 8-12% returns annually where as paying down a mortgage is only going to save you 4% (mortgage interest rate).

If you're comfortable working with your tax accountant remotely, reach out to one of us here on BP.

Or the numerous times we've had to either bleach/clean or replace comforters because of urine, blood and other stains we can't identify.