I'm planning to turn it into a rental and was wondering if I should consider hiring a property manager for my first rental.

You haven't told us anything about what you plan to do after purchasing the property, so it's not clear how important interest rate is in the long run. 

Really the plan was 6 months there and 6 months in Vegas.

With property insurers’ profitability and trade combined ratios improving, we can expect some relief soon.

What happens if you lose on it, you now have an additional liability, not just a loss of money.Are you planning on keeping the current property or exchanging it (1031) into something else?

Therefore, I don't have definite plans for how long I'll stay in Oregon, and consider the possibility of someday returning to the Austin area.

Bigger Pockets is a great place to find a real estate tax accountant.A good real estate accountant can save you thousands of dollars by leveraging entity selection and formation, tax deductions, cost segregations, bonus depreciation and tax planning.I recommend finding an accountant who specializes in real estate taxation, business taxation, financial planning and tax planning.You may want to consider working with your accountant remotely to expand your options.I would also recommend looking for a accountant willing to work with you throughout the year.

I would focus on homes with dysfunctional floor plans.

I plan to negotiate the rent and I want to present my proposal to show how I’ll manage the property responsibly.

Trustin your PM partner is important and they will follow your lead, so don't expect them to provide you with your business plan.