I've walked in on hanky panky but never a full feature film :) 

They don't care about your property, won't suggest the improvements, and just live of you.I self manage AirBnb in Seattle and hired a remote PM in another property and should admit that if the PM is not local I could do the work and take care of the property much better than a hired PM.

Investing remotely: Honestly- the Chicago market is relatively affordable and you KNOW your town.

In person its a place I could see maybe doing an investment or two in but its not where I really want to set up shop (I mean that literally; set up a home and also set up a wood shop - so I can build custom cabinets and stuff).If Santa Cruz, CA ever goes on sale then I'll go there and suck it up with CA laws and cost of living, but for the foreseeable future it is not even a remotely viable option; I looked at a fourplex there generating $10k in monthly income and priced at $2,700,000. 

You may want to consider working with your accountant remotely to expand your options.I would also recommend looking for a accountant willing to work with you throughout the year.

Here are a few suggestions on how you can maximize the wealth of information available: Check out the blogs and podcasts, or take advantage of the search feature (magnifying glass).

You could have a few things driving the cost:-Location - if the house is more remote the contractor will have higher costs to get out there (gas, lodging, limited resources) or if you are using a local guy he might be higher because he knows there are fewer competitors -El Nino - the roofers we use are all busy because people are rushing to get work done before the rains hit.  

Additionally, our strategic marketing efforts highlighted the property's new features, attracting buyers quickly and maximizing the sale price to $251,000.

Here are a few suggestions on how you can maximize the wealth of information available: Check out the blogs and podcasts, or take advantage of the search feature (magnifying glass).

You may want to consider working with your accountant remotely to expand your options.I would also recommend looking for a accountant willing to work with you throughout the year.