No I have not been in person, and what you are describing is exactly what I'm worried about.I will say that I do have a contractor who I trust to do an honest thorough inspection (I requested several references who all gave positive feedback, and the one property I did ask him to inspect he found a major structural issue and immediately told me not to considering buying it).It seems like when most people run into trouble its because their estimates of vacancy, maintenance, capex were all too optimistic.

Hey All-I know I am digging up an old thread- just wondering if anyone has any updates.I've Been looking for a company that I can trust and rely on as a Broker in case I need to use the service myself or refer a client.I'd appreciate the updates!

In terms of the lady spending all her time reporting violations... yikes.There are a few maps online that show the unincorporated areas of pinellas county down to the street, and then you can cross reference the county zoning website.

I can refer you to my accountant or lawyer.

I am currently transitioning between tenants where Tenant A (moving out after 2 years with no issues) referred and is the sibling of Tenant B.

A good attorney or title company should be able to refer a quality broker. 

Are you referring to the Market Finder tool or the classifieds section where you can post asks and offers for real estate services?

I think of finding rental comps as basically the same process as finding purchase comps to reference. 

Its better if you get a property managers phone number because you can cross reference that with what is listed on their website. 

@Thomas SehonRecommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.