Are you intentionally looking to outsource the management and day to day operations to a management company versus self-managing? 

That's a terrible story about the Tesla but think about the guy who's running that company.

In my case, I have residential rentals in one LLC, commercial properties in another, self storage in a third, and my real estate company operates in a fourth.

Looking for good first hand experience with a recommendation... just what every landlord wants, someone who knows what they're doing and is reliable.

I did my due diligence, but when a company markets itself as a turnkey property expert, they should ensure the property is solid and their affiliates are reliable.

Deposits from the tenant.Security deposits from the tenant in residential dwelling units shall be deposited in a trust account with a licensed and federally insured depository institution lawfully doing business in this State or the landlord may, at his option, furnish a bond from an insurance company licensed to do business in North Carolina.

1) Research Zoning of similar property2) Do search with same zoning criteria with propertyradar or have title company give you a list.3) Possibly filter by satellite photos to eliminate undesirable topography.

If you can get hold of a reliable and honest builder, you will be fine (that does not mean you will not go over budget).Low CapEx, Little Hassle, Quality Tenant, You can manage new construction out of state for the first 5-years, Tenant May Stay longer (because is a brand new house) are few benefits of new construction.You may not be able to get close to the 1% rule though.Goodluck

Applicant credit scores should be treated with a high level of care and should not be handed out when they aren't assured that you are locking them up and taking due care with private and sensitive data.So, many places, including the screening company we used for years before moving to a PM, provide a suitability score rather than the actual credit score. 

And being in California, you really should be using licensed companies for everything.