Of course routine maintenance is key for a great portfolio and nice tenant retention.There are almost always telltale signs within your local markets.

I found this thread interesting and entertaining especially @Aaron Yates efforts at explaining how he does the impossible routinely. .. a bit of a summary at the bottom of thread I found entertaining and thought provoking as it made me reflect on my experiences the past five years...and the importance of @ Aaron Yates quote "i do the footwork.

However, I routinely get deals from motivated sellers off of the MLS............Roland

@David KrulacWe routinely use triple glazed windows, mostly vinyl or fibreglass, but where historic conservation guidelines demand, we've used wooden framed windows.Quad glazed windows are comparatively new and offer more variation in configuration (evenly spaced, spaced in pairs), but unless they are in an insulated fibreglass frame, the benefits of the extra glazing will be marginal and definitely not cost effective.  

The decision to hire someone to help you with routine tasks is an excellent one.

I just think its prudent to set aside enough money each month so a large expense is not a crippling expense.While not capex, I would not forget routine preventive maintenance items. 

I know many agents who once they got rolling make some pretty big dollars.. 500 to 1 mil a year pretty routinely.. without risking a dime !!! 

Having the cash would be nice but it would be easy to become routine to the lifestyle with the extra money, and when it's gone you crave the lifestyle that you never could afford to begin with.If you would use it to buy another rental... then maybe.

Besides the regular tenant nightmare issues like tenants letting the pipes freeze due to services being disconnected for non-payment, property damages, ongoing calls about plumbing issues, and the list goes on and on and on... there are other reasons (when dealing with Section 8 tenants) that would not make it cost-effective to be an absentee landlord that doesn't bother with their tenants.There are routine inspections, repair reports, fluctuations in rent portions, and times where NHA will abate (not withhold) rent due to failed inspections.

An extension of the short sale approval is routinely done.