That is the best advice I can give you.The forums have several folks that have gotten hosed by the city trying to do a STR even though they did everything right.

Most folks who come to me to refi end up having to bring cash to close even though the new value has increases substantially, they cannot access 20-25% of that equity due to the cash out limits being 75-80LTV. 

I’ve been investing in the Tampa Bay area for over 20 years, with around 30 rentals myself, and it’s always inspiring to see folks like you diving in with such focus on cash flow.It’s amazing how buy & hold can really shift your lifestyle—I actually started out similar to you and eventually left my day job to focus on real estate full-time.

It may sound nice to pay a 6% management fee but the extra fees can add up to be more than the other company that charges 10% with no additional fees.

I’ve got a network across the states and can connect you with investor-friendly folks in Dallas who understand what it's like to get that first deal going.

I have had a few of those experienced folks (staff members?) 

You can also scrub public records to see who has recently bought in the area (if available) all cash, some of these folks are investors, hit them up too.

Most brokers will want to protect their exclusivity on an off-market deal, as they put in extra effort to source it directly for you.3.

It's easy to obtain, costs very little, and doesn't require extra, on-going effort to maintain.

So I went with the advice to just get extra liability on my properties and call it good.