Trusting Property Managers long term?

[Wesley Quinn]

Hello BP, my name is Wesley Quinn, I am active duty and new to investing. Looking at buying a multifamily in Norfolk VA to house hack and fill with tenants. Being that I'll be deployed for several months at a time

A question I had is what checklist do you use to find property managers. And are there property managers which you can be hands-off for several months at a time and they can handle the issue(s) that come up?

Would appreciate any feedback or advice from anyone in the area who has experience with this.

[Cameron Tope]

@Wesley Quinn I agree with @Ronan Donnelly - property managers CAN be worth their weight in gold. They can also completely ruin your return. 

Here's a solid article with some questions to ask before hiring a property manager 

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/2015-10-09-questions-ask-property-management

One thing that has really helped me and my owners is setting communication expectations upfront. Do you want to be contacted each time something happens or not at all? This can be prevent a lot of bad blood. 

Set expectations upfront and look for a PM with a track record that owns rentals as well. If they've owned rentals in the past then most likely they know the routine. 

Best of luck!