I see why they say, never go into business with family.

yes, its a people business.

I’d love advice on leveraging my existing assets, navigating seller finance deals, or other tips for scaling effectively.

If the software is not simplifying your life or making you more accurate, you shouldn't use it.Software does have extremely helpful features like online payments, marketing syndication (click a button, and your property is advertised on multiple sites), electronic document review/signing, maintenance tracking, and owner reports.

I live in Phoenix and my business partner and I put on a couple local forums for investors like yourself to network.

Make sure you do business with people you have vetted and are confident they will get the job done. 

It would for sure have to be a higher hourly rate than a typical W2 job however as agents are 1099 contractors and there are expenses associated with maintaining our licenses and operating our businesses that usually come out of our commissions.

If they are too busy or too lazy to answer a call or send a short email, what else are they too busy for?

It separates your personal assets from your business, providing a safeguard if any legal issues arise related to tenants or the property.

I currently have a lawn care business that I run myself.