I would really love to hear evryone’s thoughts on franchise vs self starting, especially the marketing aspect of it, do PM franchise (and the brand) really help in getting from 0 to 100 units quick and is it really worth the upfront cost and ongoing split.

It was very insightful, but one major aspect missing in my opinion. 

I'm not looking to nit-pick the finer details of maximizing ROI so much as I am looking to hear from people who have used this strategy and to find out the up/down-sides of it.Thanks for the thoughts!

I am interested in many aspects of REI, but I've been drawn to the thoughts of a few more than anyone else.   

Will handle all aspects of renting property.  

Sean, when discussing this transaction at least, did not manage the subject property in any aspect.

I was tied to his hip for 3 hours, following him through every aspect of the inspection.  

@Wayne Brooks I agree about the local aspect and even around here going down the road a few hundred feet to the next town changes things drastically.

Did you have a lot of issues with the aspects listed previously?

Highly recommend them and they're very easy to work with and can tailor to your needs from full hands on with all repairs to just managing and letting you deal with that aspect.