Typical property management fees/responsibilities?

[Shari Posey]

We have 4 small rental properties (3 condo units and 1 single family home with minimal landscaping) and we have always managed them ourselves pretty easily. However, we are going overseas for a year and now have to hire a property management company. I have not had much experience with local companies but what I have seen doesn't impress me...lots of For Rent signs for months on end (our properties rent in 2 weeks or less), lots of complaints about service, etc. Here's the thing...we have a friend with zero property management experience BUT we trust him, and he is extremely responsible and intelligent. Honestly, 70% of what we do is collect & deposit rents, and fill one or two vacancies per year--not a big deal. But we have been taken to court once, and we had one tenant die, so we know there is potential for complicated issues.
Question-- We want to leave the country without worrying about our properties, so which is better...leave the job to someone who is smart and we trust OR to some staff person at a property management company? Also, what is the standard fee for what type of responsibilities? Should the person/company we leave this to have some special insurance/liability coverage?