Today it has a small positive cash flow for its equity, but the value is up ~$1m above my costs.  

100% agree with @Collin Hays - find a local manager, preferably one not too large or not too small, I would say 30-90 properties is usually a sweet spot.

. -- and they find deals that could be good for all of them - and everyone is helping each otherI think BiggerPockets will be a potentially pretty reliable place - I know that there's different roles, "finders", "buyers", "sellers".... maybe I can just find deals, and connect people together, and get some kind of small finder's fee for it, or something.... ok so that first 10-20k is important to just be able to provide - when getting into this....

Absolutely man, I’ve got a small group of people I know personally who are ready to roll.

I was surprised how many small families we get.  

We specialize in single family homes, condos, townhouses, and select small multi family homes.

We are in a small market so we were very surprised to consistently fill 4 and now we are looking to do 4 more. 

That experience taught me the importance of leaning on local expertise, even if it feels like an unnecessary expense at first.One strategy I’ve seen work occasionally is offering the tenant a “cash for keys” deal, where you pay them a small amount to vacate voluntarily.

It might be worth talking to a lawyer but not sure if it's small claims or worth it.Also, you might already have all of these things but for future prevention:- smart thermostat (so you receive alerts when the inside temperature dips below whatever preset you have)- Minut (or similar device) would also alert you to the inside (and outside) temperatures; for example, I have 2 devices inside the house and outside on the hot tub deck.

Start small to learn the market, people, and areas where you can achieve success.