The drawback of relying solely on MLS, realtor.com, zillow.com, or similar listing sites is their widespread popularity.

@Farzan Setayesh I rely on thumbtack.

I would not rely on Zillow to heavily I would get a tax cert and see what exemptions you qualify for but that’s a big jump.

If I opt not to do it and just go with the pump there will be maintenance requirements for it and I'll have to rely on the tenants not doing anything that will compromise it. 

And I would be creating a new team that I just didn’t know I could rely on.

You should be able to start looking at things on the MLS and understanding what makes a good deal.You can't rely on a realtor for that.

They are the ones without adequate insurance, commingling funds, performing work without a contracts, relying on insured contractor’s /vendors etc. 

@Gurjot Grewal don't rely solely on peoples' opinions of neighborhoods.

If you did not build the wealth to buy them yourself, I would not rely on their income until you have your own plan. 

I mean once you talk to them, it's pretty easy to spot if they know what they are talking about.I've work on STRs before and to be honest, it is not the most fun aspect of accounting because the volume of allocating income from all sources (airbnb, vrbo, stripe, direct booking, and so on) to a bunch of random expenses (cleaning, supplies, repairs, advertising, commissions, and all typical real estate expenses).I had to strictly rely on the client's input on what the expenses belong to which property or even units, if the paperwork doesn't say.