Long distance landlord - how do you pay the boots on the ground?

[James Feely]

To the long distance landlords, Who is your "boots on the ground" person?  What is your employment relationship with them?  Are they a formal employee?  Contractors?  Vendors?  Is there a way to structure the work to emanate the need to do all the employment taxes/benefits?

I've found myself in the position of needing half a property manager...  I guess I could call it a "maintenance person".  I bought a quadplex, put it under the only legitimate property manager in town, then ended up moving out of state.  The property manager recently resigned.

In AZ, one has to be a licensed real estate agent to be a property manager and execute leases and stuff on my behalf.  At least that's what the old PM told me.  But I don't really need that.  Technology lets me do all the leasing and collect payments electronically.  So I really just need someone to hold the keys, put a lockbox out with a key when needed, walk the property once a month, and to help with tenant move in -  move outs.  All the vendors and stuff I have a handle on and can do it remotely.  

It's probably going to be like $1800 worth of work or less a year.

What are your thoughts on the best way to handle this situation.  Any advice is appreciated!