(2) Variable cost: platform fees from Airbnb and VRBO, lodging/hotel/transit or whatever pass-through tax your local AHJ requires, cleaning fee, cost of replacement for consumables, repair and maintenance, etc. 

If you want to be truly passive while living abroad you could consider a DST transfer or syndication where you transition your properties to professional management and get paid as a limited partner and not have to worry about any sort of property management takes.

If you’ve got strong tenant demand, proximity to top employers, or even access to public transit, you’re laying a solid foundation.

In place of a flat fee I can see the transition being something based on referral (did my buyer agent get me a trades person, lender, home inspector, etc.

You would need to notify them in writing that you will not be expending their lease and they will not be transitioning to a month-to-month lease. 

Currently, I'm managing 17 units using Google Sheets, but I'm transitioning to QuickBooks.

A lot of jurisdictions dislike density, particularly if parking is an issue and mass transit is not readily accessible.

.• Use some equity from the sale to make this transition smoother.I’m torn between maintaining our current home as an asset and buying  a new smaller house to use as a rental after we move back in versus simplifying and focusing on a single upgraded property Considering factors like market trends, potential equity growth, and quality of life, which path do you think would be most beneficial?

After spending 25 years as a Software Engineering and Product leader, I’m now exploring the world of real estate investing (REI) and looking forward to learning from all of you.My goal is to leverage my current investments and savings to build a real estate portfolio that will eventually allow me to transition away from my current career.

It's much easier to set things up right than to have to transition them later when you have multiple properties and many, many transactions.