Couldn't agree more John, I decided to move from the foothills of the Rockies to MAKE Chicago my backyard... because at the end of the day it just had too many more advantages over markets like Denver, even with property tax rates being what they are.

@Ben Van Gorp is there a meet up local to your area you can attend?

I have attended a few of their virtual meetups and have enjoyed it so far.  

The place is clean not attended.

You were smart to not go any higher, you had a number that you were good with.I suggest you continue to attend auctions, make sure you do your research first, try to talk to the owner or lender, find out what they need. 

I constantly preach about attending meetups, staying active on blogs and following local investors on instagram.

Also highly recommend attending in-person meetups!

Expertise in property management goes far beyond finding a tenant and managing repairs, and includes well defined processes for managing these things (which you mentioned she is lacking).As far as finding a great property management company, Keyrenter Denver is great, although I'm not sure they manage in your area.

If you're interested in attending a local REIA meeting there is a great one in Matthews, NC I attend weekly and would recommend.

They will also have to take time out of their schedule to attend mediation hearings, etc.