It's helpful to have "boots on the ground," someone who can respond quickly to issues that arise when you can't make it to your property.

For example, if the property was purchased for all cash, the owner would save the interest rate on the loan...not a rate higher than that...and it does not change with the level of the down payment.Paying down a fixed rate 5.5% loan versus investing the funds in a 2.0% savings account would net 3.5% savings (and it would occur in a rising rate environment).

If this problem should ever arise in the future feel free to reach out/pm.

Also, a rising tide lifts all boats...

With the abundance of money out there for deals through hard money or private money you don't necessarily need the money, just a good deal and possibly some reserves just in case unexpected scenarios arise (they always do fyi).

He will also have them do their best to sort out any relational issues between tenants if they arise.

Here are some popular metrics to considerPopulation growth (5 yr trend)Unemployment rate (5 yr trend)Diversity of job market (no one industry accounting for 25% of employment)Supply/Demand (vacancy rate, absorption rate, etc)Tenant vs Landlord friendly stateYou can find a lot of this information at factfinder.census.gov or by simple google search.  

VRBO is very popular, as is AirBnB.

I was searching for "real estate investing" podcasts on my phone and gave BiggerPockets a try, little knowing just how popular, powerful and helpful this gem would be.

HUD homes are popular targets for wholesalers/rehabbers specifically because there is No resale restriction.