I’ve been offering a $100 referral fee for existing tenants who refer a new tenant to any of my properties.

Feel free to DM me if you'd like more insights on all this (we don't do biz in Alabama so got nothing to lose).Here's some other "copy & paste" advice on how to search for a better PMC:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

@Jason Weidmannit's only solid if:1) you pick a market that you can go to in person and build a team first, and 2) you recognize that RE is a long-term investment, and you may have to wait 5-10 years, or longer, before seeing ANY return. 

We recently relocated to Phoenix last summer and I'm starting to look for recommendations for local credit unions here in Phoenix which are trustworthy, low rates, personal touch, easy/simple to work with, etc. 

If it did flood though, I personally would steer clear.

The downside will have more to do with your business personality.

Juggling between work and personal life can be tough, but having a property manager can take some of the pressure off and let you focus on your other priorities

With the increased competition, it’s crucial to prepare your property to stand out and work to address obvious buyer objections prior to going on market.That is some great data for reference!

One thing I would add here is to check prior landlord references, not just from their current one.

They clearly had no intention of paying off the loan in October but sought instead to further reduce their loan balance during a time of the note holder's personal hardship.