When did you bring on a property manager?

[Matt Leonard]

I am under contract on a 4-unit investment property and want to use a property management company.  I am wondering when is the time to bring them in.  I close at the end of the month, so it isn't a done deal yet.  Should i bring them on prior to closing on the property or wait until I have it in hand?  I am thinking that I should self manage for a couple months to get a better understanding of how things work with the property, but don't know if that will make the transition more difficult or not when I do hand it off to a management company.

So, when you have acquired a new property that was going to be run by a property management company, when did you bring them in?

Some more details... It is my first property in the area and is about an hour away from home.  I have a handyman/contractor in the area that could handle routine maintenance and repairs.  I currently have multifamily that I self manage with no issues, but it is in a B+/B area with A/B class tenants.  The new property is in good shape structurally and aesthetically, but is in a C class area and currently has 4 Section 8 tenants that I am inheriting.  The seller claims they are all wonderful, from what I have seen this could be true.  I don't have time to be involved with maintenance or collecting rent, I have a FT job that keeps me busy 50-70 hours a week.  

[Tracy Streich]

If you are going to hire PM do it from the start. It just adds more confusion if hey report to and pay you then you switch it again in a few months. No need to get to know them on a first name basis. If you are not going to manage you don't need to know them and they definitely don't need to know you. That is why you have a PM. Less emotional attachment for you. Let the PM deal with the sob stories not you.