And the changes, such as regulation, city development, traffic flow, building views etc happen very quickly. 

If they are, I would pay them off first.I would invest in a different market(likely bigger market) where you can find reliable contractors or find a PM that will be able to manage the properties.

I don't trust them and it so much more reliable to take a few minutes and look at your real competition to set pricing. 

Maybe start with a part-time ops manager or a reliable lead cleaner to free up your time while keeping quality high.

This is the reason homes are so much cheaper than cost to build.

Any recommendations on reliable and top notch cleaners in Raleigh?

If your entity has several years of operating history and good and reliable financials, you may be able to find something. 

its most unfortunate that you had to go through this deception and theft from someone who is considered a professional in this business. we definitely appreciate you putting the warning out about this character. as hard as it is to find a reliable experienced contractor nowadays its even harder to find one that's not a crook and a liar and that's truly pathetic.   

My goal is to build a data-driven tool that provides actionable insights into which neighborhoods and property types are in the highest demand, based on metrics like:Time on market: How quickly rentals are being leased.Property characteristics: Bedrooms, bathrooms, size, and amenities.Pricing trends: Rental rates relative to market demand and property features.Visual quality: Leveraging property photos to analyze the style and condition of rentals that perform well.The tool will allow users to:Pinpoint areas with the fastest rental turnovers.Understand what types of properties (size, price range, features) rent the quickest.Gain deeper insights into property presentation and amenities that correlate with high demand.Thank you in advance for your feedback.

I would say keeping their crews busy is a must when there is always another investor who needs a good reliable contractor.