From my experience, attending local meetups, lending-specific events, and networking with experienced investors can open doors.

Readers should seek professional advice.

Determine the strengths of your property manager, if they are experienced in working with section 8 department and tenants with vouchers then I recommend choosing section 8 tenants otherwise look for cash paying tenants.

Please let me know who you have worked with and why you like them (How many properties do they manage for you, how long have you worked with them, what you like about them etc.)When the unit is vacant, do they cover the cost for professional photography to rent it out again, or is that an additional fee? 

Most of them do not and can even hurt you - as your S-corp with rentals. yeah this was under the guidance of the tax professional i went to.

To avoid any missteps, I am seeking an experienced partner to help double-check my findings and potentially invest together.

Attractive digital marketing fliers, 3d tours, professional tours, rent specials, and competitive pricing all help too!

Looking for guidance on options. new builds aren't hard to finance and I would argue they are preferred to existing fix and flip loans, especially if you have experience. banks look at your experience, your builder's experience, loan structure, permits, etc you need to get an experienced builder familiar with advanced underwriting and negotiations with local, regional, and national lenders. in columbus we do ground up construction for clients at a 20% discount so they can BRRRR out of the new build with equity and we have pages and pages of data on what we build and why and it's all supported by market statistics. 

@Lauren Cartmell 95%+ of agents only know how to do owner-occupied transcations:(So, be careful.Adding to the advice already shared, an experienced investor agent will know that there will be no showings without an accepted offer - to avoid pissing off your tenants with constant showings.

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?