As you read these books, watch the BiggerPockets podcasts.

We don’t know any PMCs to recommend in the area mentioned, but since selecting the wrong PMC is usually more harmful than selecting a bad tenant, you might want to read our series about “How to Screen a PMC Better than a Tenant”:https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91877-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-1-services-and-processesWe recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.

From what Ive read, it looks like I may have to get a business certificate to do this in SF but Im not sure what that entails or what else is involved?

Then you can read a more in-depth book like The Book On Rental Property Investing by Brandon Turner or The Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing by Spencer Strauss.2.

Hi James,I personally don't have enough experience to answer your question, but there is some helpful stuff in a similar discussion here: http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/52/topics/1779...You will find related discussions to any forum discussion you are reading at the bottom of each forum discussion page, and they can often help you find posts that answer your question.  

I read an artcile in The Economist not too long ago that mentioned how smaller towns like Jasper can offer stable rental demand if you play your cards right...

I use DealMachine, and I'm happy with it (I read the instructions you provide at the site, so I actually wasn't surprised by anything).

I have been reading Brandon Turner's "The Book on Rental Property Investing" and have learned a lot but wanted to get on here and ask for advice from everyone.  

Naturally, this makes some other people (read: voters) unhappy.B.

I recommend reading the book traction and following EOS - they have a one page business plan that is awesome to follow. any planner can work it's a matter of creating the plan and how to monitor and follow through with it which eos teaches