I have a solid PM, who manages a property for us a little more south, who is not too worried about the property being in Olympia, and says that if he places quality tenants, there shouldn't be an issue.  

To avoid going through the same poor experience, keep reading.Even if someone gives you a referral here, do NOT make the mistake of assuming that the PMC will meet your expectations, just because they met the expectations of the referral source.In our experience, the #1 mistake owners make when selecting a Property Management Company (PMC) is ASSUMING instead of CONFIRMING.It's often a case of not doing enough research, as they don't know what they don't know!

Meaning the quality and retention level of renters is high and thereby increases demand for new rentals with the increasing population growth of 1% per year.- Mobile is home of Mardi Gras which brings in a whopping quarter-of-a-billion dollars in revenue and sends hundreds of thousands of tourists to the city each year.- Mobile has the only cancer research center along the upper gulf coast providing a wide array of medical jobs to the area.- Mobile’s low cost of living and doing business provides a desired aspect to renters that can’t be achieved elsewhere, which provides a steady influx of renters thereby decreasing vacancy rates.

PM's are like the market themselves, they seem to go up and down in quality to some degree, plus truthfully you'll find some that are more experienced in specific locations than others are.

hahaI am a Chicago General Contractor...do you have any tips we might be able to implement to find quality subcontractors? 

It could be the tenant doesn't like to fully close the door because it gets too steamy in the shower.Water leaks can be tricky, but in my rentals, more often than not, it is an action by the tenant and not a plumbing or poor construction job.  

Avoid Lawson, one of my clients got in trouble bc of their terrible quality issues.

@Joshua DunlapRecommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a Class A property in Class D area, what quality of tenant will you get?

Check Greatschools.org or Zillow.com for school ratings.Investment Strategy:A-Class Properties: Lower risk, lower return, suitable for long-term investors looking for stable, high-quality tenants.C-Class Properties: Higher risk, higher return, appealing to investors with limited capital who can manage more properties for less initial cost.In summary, choose your investment neighborhood based on your risk tolerance and desired return.

If you do not, you may get bids from contractors that can not be compared to each other because the contractors have a different view of the quality of work or materials you envision.