Half of them I self-manage.

We self manage and we've had 0% vacancy, <1% late payment, all occupied at market rents.

did they have you fill out a notarized affidavit that said you were self performing the work?

And this is why I self-manage.

We self managed the entire time, even remotely, because we found the cost of property management to be too high and it cut into small profits.

My goal is to purchase a small multi-family property with an FHA loan that I can self-manage while retaining my day job as a software engineer.I have been causally reading books, listening to podcasts, and self-educating on personal finance and different asset classes for the last 2 years before finally deciding on real estate; but I still feel like I do not know enough to go at it alone.

Armando - A few questions I would ask are:- I've seen banks typically use 5% for vacancy factor- Are you self-managing?

(There are other ways to obtain/develop that evidence - such as using certified mail or my “practical advice” below.)In your case, because your friend found the letter inside the mailbox of the last known address, you now have specific evidence of having mailed the letter “…by first class mail, to the tenant's last known place of residence” - “Unless other arrangements (had been) made in writing by the tenant…”Again, in my (non-lawyer) opinion, you’ve complied with the letter of the law as to your concern - “Unless other arrangements (had been) made in writing by the tenant…”[Practical advice: Where I self-manage, in my “Notices” section of the lease, besides my physical address, phone numbers, etc for notices to me, I provide two email addresses for myself, and state in that part that email is my preferred method of communication.

However, it adds complexity with more paperwork and potential self-employment taxes on all the income.Doing it as an individual is simpler, with everything going on your personal tax return, and you might benefit from the home sale exclusion if you end up living in the property for a few years.

What I have been guiding my new clients toward is to find deals that cashflow (not too difficult if self managing, tougher but not impossible with management).