The "big" firms like AA may get a lot of hype but they generally can't compete on the next level tax strategies (Family office type strategies) nor customer service as their employee turnover is quite high.  

Because the Property Class dictates the Class of the tenant pool that the property will attract.

Your not correct under many different circumstances.First property tax is 1.1% (fairly safe) with 2% annual increase (prop 13).Next expenses include a lot more than property tax and interest. 

I personally don't know of their group but figured id link that article since i remember reading it and the name clicked. 

Ensure the state provides a clear title upon sale.

I live on the main unit. 

I care about the rates as it directly affects the bottom line.

I do airbnb in all my rental arbitrage, they are the biggest player in the STR market.   

Quote from @Luke Tetreault: My Fiancé and I will be wrapping up our 2nd year of investing part time in the next couple of months.

And that's great you are figuring out how to get to your next investment.