Newbie deciding to DIY or hire property managee

[Julie Felts]

Hi friends! I'm Julie, a newbie from the Detroit, MI area. Planning to list a SFR in the very near future, after a few repairs are completed. Full disclosure - it was our previous home and we are still upside down. My husband bought it right before the crash (and before we met) and we are planning to hold it, and hopefully expand to other properties in the future that are a better investment. We have been doing a lot of research and I feel that we are as educated as new landlords can be, but I am really concerned about what mistakes we could be making that I don't realize, and considering a property management company instead of doing it ourselves. We both work full time and have a 1 year old, but i am trying to balance our available time with the fact that we might not have positive cash flow if we have to hire someone. Any advice? Also, any recommendations for property management companies for a single SFR on the east side of Detroit?