Even a good manager needs to be overseen, met with in person, and I like to put eyes on my rentals fairly regularly, since it is my money on the line. 

Many regular agents would not know how to handle this without asking their broker..I assume you contacted the seller after the listing expired, correct?

I would also prioritize trying to replace your regular 9-5 job and then gradually increasing your income with more experience.

@Emily Anderson true on the flat 24% tax rate on rental income without the possibility to deduct costs from it.Keep only one thing in mind: rental income is being added to regular taxable income (salary and rental income).So I could deduct costs before ending up with taxable rental income, however for me, it is being added and calculated together with my salary income.That means I'm easily reaching higher tax brackets even after the deductions, while with a flat rate it always stays the same (even if you earn way more rental income).

Landlords should inspect their properties regularly and be aware of what's going on.

Somewhere in there, there has to be a mechanism that makes the regular commentators some kind of money.Really, how do you explain what it's like to live the different versions of this real estate life and be as focused as we are on things that are so different from what most people think about?

I see these four rentals providing us a regular stream of income during retirement. 

The purpose would be to rent it out through a property manager just like a regular single family home.

Competitive upfront costs and ongoing subscription costsPlus 2 Nice To Haves: Good analytics reporting and Compliance Updates regularly communicated

It's important to go there in person, at the very least do video calls if you can't fly out and be in regular communication with whoever is working on or managing your property.