Feel" the true beat of the portfolio's income and expenses performance before using leverage to speed up the growth of your portfolio.Using cash only will protect your bottom line in scenario's like yours when the properties don't perform as expected as you won't be on the hook to cover the mortgage expenses.Just my bias opinion so take it with a grain of salt.I've also witnessed many finger pointing instances when others get involved.Like a new property manager, realtor, contractor, etc...I've had my share of bad experiences with realtors that threw my company under the bus and got in the investors ear to flog it at any price just so they can make a quick commission.It get's very messy, painful and pretty much turns into a disaster with the investor not knowing who to trust or what to do anymore.Similar to what you post about has happened to me and my company many times and if allowed the opportunity, we do our best to fix and come good.Some loose trust and faith and I 100% understand, but as soon as someone leaves the wing of my company there is not much that we can do because as I mentioned above, everyone else get's involved, has an opinion and the situation get's very messy.Having in-house property management is vital when such a "crisis" arises.I tried out-sourced PM when we first started and it was a disaster.We had no choice other than to bring it in-house.Hated my life for the first 5 years with in-house PM and fast forward 10 years, it has become our "golden goose" and a very well streamlined and beautiful business.From what I've seen and read on the forum and elsewhere it seems like RTR has a good reputation and what you have mentioned seems like a "worst case scenario".I hope RTR will assist you the best they can and all I can say is learn from the experience and don't give up.Do your best to weather the storm and focus on minutia.Don't have regrets and don't spend too much time dwelling on the past.Glimpse into the past to get guidance from what you could have done better and think ahead.Move forward smarter, more experienced and better.Wishing you well and much success with your future endeavors.

There are so many beautiful areas of CA that people still want to live. 

I used my own construction and real estate experience to get them through the governmental red tape and turn them into profitable rentals.I’m a third generation builder with an accounting degree with bullet proof spirit.

From the living room, step out onto the large deck and soak in the beautiful mountain views and fresh air; a great way to unwind at the end of the day!

Is this standard practice or a red flag? 

some of the best rules and regulations for landlords, everyone is always looking to move and invest in the Florida market, great weather, beautiful beaches, so much things to offer so to answer the questions it is a great state to invest in.

Nothing against Surry county, which is an absolutely beautiful part of NC by the way, but the RE markets in these small population counties in NC don't behave the same as the Wake and Mecklenburg types.

Plenty of styles and colors to choose from, and all of it that I've installed has held up beautifully.

I just want to hear it.As well as that, I want to ask what you could have done to prevent it one, or any red flags you saw during the screening process or before it happened, that should have made you act earlier. 

Additionally, failing to close a loan over a fiscal year is a huge red flag and usually leads to termination.I want to dive headfirst into RE investing to gain that experience I mentioned above.