i would think this is case by case basis....i've heard of some PM companies offering an a la carte menu of services from as little as back end paperwork, to full 360 service (not usual).everything is negotiable and you may have a good portfolio to leverage. i would think if a PM scoffs at the idea of compromising a plan for you.... they have some rigid cookie-cutter system that would probably screw you in representing you....

When you mix those two together in one property both sets of criteria get compromised.  

If you buy right in the first place you will eliminate most pit falls that new investors fall into.Buy right, don't compromise.

Clearly, I have very strong reasons to pursue this change, but for the same reasons I must exercise the utmost prudence (without compromising the call to take some risk).

As part of a compromise of sorts, I told him that I'd be picking up a few lawn chairs for him to use on the deck.

It's much cheaper than the rental averages, while not compromising on commute time, hassle, and generally sucking away my energy in life.   

That tells me two things:1) I have no idea what the house is actually worth.2) You are going to have to find a buyer that REALLY needs the extra space and is willing to compromise on neighborhood.There might be a few niches of people that fit this description, but more often than not, people who REALLY need a lot of extra space aren't drowning in disposable income, and are probably renting.

Although it is always the right time to buy the right property.......Here's a compromise....since so many think there will be at least a moderate correction sometime in the next year, wait that 1 year and see.

Another way you could do that mental calculus is set a minimum required return for a given type of investment/risk ... and if you can't find anything that meets this return, then keep looking but build your cash ... bad stuff tends to happen when you compromise too much on your minimum requirements, so discipline and patients is prudent IMO.

Usually this step in the transaction requires both sides to compromise a little bit to get a deal done.