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!

If I would have used competent management, the manager that I picked and vetted, then it would have cash flowed, assuming they could have filled the vacancies.The big lesson I learned is that the property manager selected can make or break a deal. 

However, some investors are fine with this strategy if they prefer to minimize their upfront investment and plan to refinance in a few years, especially with potential interest rate cuts from the Fed this year.At the end of the day, it’s all about investing in a growing market, selecting a solid neighborhood, and building a strong team to support you.

Here's my takeaway from the market:Smaller, less impressive cabins are pretty over-saturated and unless you have a big view (or water frontage) to really make you stand out, you will struggle.  

That is an impressive rate!

I'm impressed by your website by the way.

Nothing impresses an outside investor more than the sponsor stating that he’s funding 10-20% of the “deal” with his own cash - on the same terms as the outside investors.  

I definitely plan on building a team in the market we select. 

@Brice Alef-Torrisi putting each property in its own LLC is usually overkill.Getting a bank account for each LLC is typically something you need to do to avoid "piercing of the LLC corporate veil" (actually depends on tax selection you made for LLC), but is also overkill.You haven't indicated how you are holding the deed for the latest property.If in your name or same LLC, you don't need a separate bank account.If in separate LLC, you can create a Master LLC, have each property LLC hire the Master LLC to manage their affairs, and just get a bank account for Master LLC.This is an opinion, not advice, so lookup CPA Frank Alcini in Troy for expert advice.

Most people with a substantial amount of money don't get impressed by a resume.