@John Reagan Johnson hope you don't mind a PMC answering, but most of our clients hire us because:1) They live out of state and don't have time & expertise to remote manage2) They don't have the time to manage3) They don't feel they have the necessary expertise and/or don't want to risk learning as they go and making an expensive mistake.Go read Kiosaki's Cash Flow Quadrant book.

It may be worth having an experienced professional helping you and you could always try to get the seller to pay your agent’s fees.

I personally own a large portfolio here in Memphis and I hired a property manager for the very first proeprty and I still use them today. 

Also, for people who wish to pursue larger real estate ventures, you don't personally need to be able to analyze a deal, and can possibly partner with someone who does or even hire an underwriter.

A professional property manager should handle the heavy lifting, ensuring your investment is protected and profitable without adding stress to your plate.

Hire a contractor to cut open the ceiling so it can dry out.

@Victor Yang To use the rental losses to offset any active income (W2), you'd have meet Real Estate Professional status (which would be difficult to do with a W2 job because you'd have to work more on real estate than any other job to qualify) OR have an AGI of $150K or less.

There's a self-proclaimed Section 8 guru online who claims he hires random property managers through this website called Thumbtack.

These tax professionals opted to pay to be included in this directory.

By and large, QI's have very high ethical standards, and are sometimes overlooked as the engines of this tax saving tactic.]REPUTATION MARKERS 📊INDUSTRY STANDINGMembership in professional organizationsLeadership roles in FEAEducational contributions to the industryRelationships with major title companiesCLIENT RELATIONSHIPS 👥Testimonials from CPAs and attorneysReferences from title companiesLong-term client relationshipsTransparent fee structuresRELATIONSHIP RED FLAGS 🚩Overly familiar with your realtor/brokerKickback arrangements (illegal!)