I will happily foot the bill for supplies so they aren't out any money out of pocket, but with the prevalence of contractor-stole-my-money stories, it makes it hard to fork over an upfront fee.

For that SMALL landlord, turnover/vacancy is VERY expensive because it takes them longer to prep and fill the vacancy and they are also paying the PM a fee for tenant placement whereas the large landlord is using their staff who is being paid whether they handle a turnover or not.

So, the first question they usually ask a PMC is about fees - instead of asking about services and HOW those services are executed.EXAMPLE: PMC states they will handle tenant screening – what does that specifically mean?

You could buy about 80 of them, but your cash flow would still end up at 16k which is about what you are making now (actual it would be zero once you account for property management fees). 

If it's in your name you can look into the potential for a HELOC or potentially refinance to pull out some of the equity you've created, but you'll need to do the math to see if you're payments will increase based on the new loan terms.

Additional Fees. 

If you know what an "average" deal looks like then pull the trigger on one that looks above average.

I think it only makes sense to switch if your current lender is not meeting your expectations, and the rate/fees are significantly different.

You need to find people who love Costa Rica and would love to own a property there but are hesitant to buy a property on their own where they will need to manage it, and take care of it, and pay for the maintenance and any other fees associated with it.  

On the renewal for the license, I asked if the loft was considered a bedroom and the response I got (unsurprising when it comes to taxes & fees!)