If you found a few handymen you could rely on, and make a trip out there for a few days to get things set up with shopping, decorating, and furnishing the STR that would remove the red flag of the property manager, and significantly boost your material participation hours to clear one of the thresholds.

These are becoming very affordable from retailers like Home Depot and Floor and Decor, and they really set you apart from builder-grade homes!

They have a good set of advertisements that focus on their whole house strategy which is good IMHO.We are running about 50/50 on bookings for 2025 right now.

that will almost certainly set you back.hope this helps. 

.🎯 Your 6-Month Timeline:Month 1: Foundation (5-7 hours/week)Morning routine: 1 hour daily market researchEvening routine: Deal analysis practiceWeekend: BP forums & networkingKey Goal: Analyze 10 deals on paperMonth 2: Education (8-10 hours/week)Complete 1 RE courseJoin 2 local REI groupsSchedule lunch breaks with agentsKey Goal: Build your initial power team listMonth 3: Systems (10-12 hours/week)Set up deal tracking systemCreate document templatesEstablish banking relationshipsKey Goal: Ready to make offersMonth 4: Lead Generation (12-15 hours/week)Drive neighborhoods after workWeekend open housesSetup automated MLS alertsKey Goal: Generate first 5 qualified leadsNow, the Owners and Brokers you deal with may not enjoy this, but you can certainly "practice" making offers.  

Explore my personal favorites, Set For Life by Scott Trench or The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey, for invaluable financial insights.3.

As a result, this isn’t the kind of market that attracts top-tier PM talent.Your best solution might be to either:1.Take on self-management if possible (and if you’re willing to put in the time/effort).2.Find an individual you can trust to handle these properties, set up very specific instructions and processes, micro-manage them initially to ensure standards are met, and compensate them well to make it worth their while.This approach requires more oversight on your part but can yield better results in markets like this.

I just set up my vrbo account and still some finer details about planning the communication, cleaning service, maintenance persons, etc…

As for the legalities of setting up an LLC to protect you and your partners, I would consult with an attorney for best judgement. 

Some investors will wait until they have several properties before forming an LLC but it's often beneficial to set one up early especially with your first property.