If they are not aligned then simply keep looking till you find one that is.I would look up NARPM and start with them..Below are some questions I would think would be a good starting point for you to see who really treats their company like a business or a hobby.My business partner is a regional VP for NARPM and I am happy to help if you need anything please reach outQuestions to Ask prospective management companiesWhat are your average days on market for vacant homes?

I'll look at 40-65 homes a month when I am buying. 

You can use Airdna & other STR estimator tools to get data on potential income/vacancy based on your location and property size. 

It just focuses on those people that missed out buying a home, even if it was for a minor amount, like the first couple in the article that got beat out by less than $10,000.  

Based on the numbers and my strategy, do you think this is a good investment for my first property?

Only place I felt "safe" in CA was on base.

One thing to remember is the flipper will have $30k- $40k in financing during flip and closing costs to buy the home then another $25k when they selll so that will play into the numbers that need to be considered. 

With a budget of $300K-$400K, you could potentially find single-family homes or small multi-units in those areas.I'd recommend researching rental demand near universities like Duke or NC State or even checking out neighborhoods with strong job growth near tech hubs.

Couple of notes based on comments you made in response to others:1.

We've built, ground-up, several homes and my mortgage company finances tons of new construction projects.