To avoid going through the same poor experience, keep reading.Even if someone gives you a referral here, do NOT make the mistake of assuming that the PMC will meet your expectations, just because they met the expectations of the referral source.In our experience, the #1 mistake owners make when selecting a Property Management Company (PMC) is ASSUMING instead of CONFIRMING.It's often a case of not doing enough research, as they don't know what they don't know!

This keeps them motivated.Clear Contracts: Make sure your contracts have deadlines and penalties for delays.Regular Check-Ins: Visit the site often to catch issues early and keep things on track.Scaling UpMultiple Contractors: Work with more than one contractor to avoid delays.

If your current deposit already equals one month's rent, you can't request additional funds.Keep the lines of communication open with your tenants, explain the process clearly, and you'll avoid any misunderstandings.Good luck!

North side: Avondale, west logan square, albany park, rogers parkSouth side: Bronzeville, brighton park, mckinley park, bridgeport, west half of pilsenI agree with “trend is your friend” and avoid areas that might but havnt popped off.

I agree with the others here that say you need to have some skin in the game, if you are going to live there yourself, get an FHA loan rather than owner financing, you can get a 3.5% down loan, personally I do not love these as they require  PMI which is an additional expense, and you also need  bring additional funds for closing at least for taxes, title, attorney and transfer fees . borrowing from anyone else for the down payment, to include a personal loan from the bank is not a good idea, those again will be higher int. rate.

I want to take advantage of growth if possible, but also want to minimize taxes and fees (penalties).

Ensure you collect a proper security deposit (typically one month's rent in Florida) to cover potential damages.Your plan to increase rent next year makes sense given rising costs (taxes, insurance, and maintenance).

Quote from @Travis Smith: Age 56 and retiring from farming and I’ve been very good at avoiding income taxes with depreciation and business expenses.  

Line Item Fee Collected Rents 10% of All Collected Rents New Tenant Search & Onboarding $500 Business Hour Service Calls $80/hour + Materials Cost + Tax After Hour Service Calls $110/hour + Materials Cost + Tax HVAC Cleaning & InspectionGutter CleaningSpring/Fall Exterior CleanupSeasonal Mowing & Weed TrimmingSeasonal Snow PlowingGeneral Contractor Vendor Cost + 10% Oversight Fee

After closing, when the property taxes were due I never received any bill.