As an owner-operator you will be able to screen tenants a little more carefully than a PM typically does in my experience. 

You're planning to operate this as a STR/MTR.

Find GP’s who are pretty transparent with things like monthly financials, monthly summaries of operations, etc.

We operate primarily in the Southwestern US and New England area.

Like aircraft checklists and vehicle operators manuals (the -10s), one can benefit from extensive research, trial and error, and deliberate improvement principles gained by the many that have gone the path before. 

We've also launched a gourmet mushroom grow operation and plant nursery.

Trying to manage a $1M Airbnb rental while it sounds good you got $6500 in bookings you still have significant costs to operate it with maintenance repairs, utilities etc.

I vetted them as a potential PM and one thing I learned real quick is that they don't have "offices" and people in the areas they operate in.

Question to folks who are operating a STR in Unincorporated Jefferson, County, CO.

Now people's minds have been so polluted with this marxist-socialist drum beat for decades that people now default to a socialist answer of "Make Them ____, that's the answer, MAKE EM DO IT MY WAY" and that will fail every time because the very framework is designed to operate opposite.