During the preparation for the market a sweep is done .

I'd love to scale upwards to those mini-multifamily properties of 8-12 units, but I think taking some baby steps first will help learn and be better prepared for those larger scale properties. 

Financial Preparation: Determine how much you can afford to invest and evaluate your present financial status.

Be prepared for this aspect when assessing and analyzing deals.

This process will help get you educated / organized and prepared. 

This is largely based on experience so you can shoot for the moon, but be prepared to settle on what works with your strategy.Once you have done one, now you are building experience... and then you can move forward and hopefully with better terms.

If you ignore them, are you prepared to have them upset at you for an indefinite period of time?

As Joel notes, it is a great way to monitor tenant health and be prepared for failing tenants ahead of them stopping to pay.

Sec. 1.469-5T(f)(2)(ii)) – such hours include: studying and reviewing financial statements, searching for new properties, education, preparing summaries of the finances or operations, or managing the finances of an activity in a nonmanagerial capacity.Keep in mind that REPS can include a real estate agent and tasks that count can be different than a real estate investor....

You also need to be prepared to give them your deposit business a as well.