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

Took an extra 6 weeks than planned,  but ultimately got it done. 

Real estate investmnets are capital intensive and if you don't have extra money sitting around to make the emergency repair when it happens you'll find yourself in a terrible position. 

Should I take extra steps to verify their identity and legitimacy?

Possibly using mortgage/home equity loan on one unit we own to buy an extra one.3.

Seems a bit high on the exp ratio near 43% but we do pay a premium for our solid cleaning lady, she also stocks supplies, runs errands and other duties for no "extra" charge.

This designation doesn’t cost extra or give the manager access to insurance payouts but ensures you and the property manager are aligned during incidents, such as tenant lawsuits or insurance claims.

then theirs charges 1000s in extra fees. 

The only extra pay for guests is the surf-rider.

Also, keep in mind that an IN multi member LLC would require a separate tax return, so you would want to budget for extra admin fees.