New Property Manager Advice

[Jacob Compton]

Hello All!

I just purchased a duplex. This is my first investment property. I don't want to pay for a property management company to manage my property, if I can help it. Below are some of the questions I am currently looking into... I was wondering if someone more familiar with property management may be able to provide their own solutions to some of these questions? Thanks!

- Where should I get a legal contract for my tenants to sign? Should I contact a lawyer? if so, how much additional cost is that?
- How do I find tenants? Should I post myself on Craigslist/zillow/etc or pay a company to do that for me? If I pay, how much additional cost is that?
- How do I screen tenants? How much is it to perform background checks?
- Is there a website I can go through for my tenants to pay me online every month? Are there any additional fees associated with that?

With all the additional costs of doing my own property management, should I just pay for a property manager?