You pay your agent at closing (think of it as an additional closing cost) Depending of the situation and of these options can be used by you and your agent to negotiate with the seller.

Florida, particularly Tampa and Central Florida, is a strong option because of steady demand, landlord-friendly laws, and solid appreciation.If you’re debating between short-term and long-term rentals, I’d say long-term rentals are more stable, especially with the recent saturation of Airbnbs.

Like any tool, you have to know how to use it correctly or you could get, "injured".We use it to quickly sift through multiple options - and that's about it.BP has a Rental Calculator that includeds everything you are asking about: mortgage P&I, property taqxes, home insurance and percentage for maintenance & vacancy.It also includes Cap-Ex percentage, but in our experience it's a waste of time to worry about this.

any suggestions on how I should compare these 2 options?

An assistant can do most everything that you need done and they work directly for you rather than a property management company that has several clients and you’re just one of them.Also, again, depending on the location of your properties, have you considered doing a lease with the option to buy?  

If you go to the Lease Agreement Forms for your state here: https://get.biggerpockets.com/forms/index/, at checkout, it will give you the option to Upgrade to “Become a Pro annual member for $213 more!

If you have any questions on financing options, feel free to DM me.

I don’t see where a rental would make sense, so I’m trying to look at other options to cover the monthly payments until the market goes back up.  

Would love to know if any other mortgage brokers are aware of other options? 

Think multi unit residential, commercial properties, or purchasing houses “subject to” existing mortgage.