And the manager is not financially aligned (and in my opinion, doesn’t do as good a job of screening tenants, etc., as I can).

You have to screen the company to verify they hold the appropriate licenses, insurance, etc.

Honestly it's almost less work for us because we don't have to screen, airbnb does, we don't have to deal with leases, airbnb does that stuff, and we don't have to advertise, airbnb does.Location: If you do str OR/AND you really want the highest appreciation (I wanted both) you want to stick close to RTP and the airport.

Broken or torn screens should be repaired.- All tenants should be able to move into a clean, completely empty home.

Reno properly, screen properly and do the paperwork, YES thats it 

Do not skip your screening!

You can make minor adjustments based on the type of appliances (dishwasher, clothes washer and dryer, air conditioning, etc.) and the size of the rental.

Then you can order it in different sizes and materials.

I'm about to rent out my first property and would love a recommendation on an app to use to screen applicants, submit maintenance requests, and receive rent. 

Once you know who your tenants will be, you can answer the property question on several levels, not only SF vs MF, but also location, size, features etcIf you design a car, you start by thinking about your target audience and what they want.