Luckily the family in my rental is paying $9000/mo (3x my mortgage) so I am gaining signifigant wiggle room for mistakes.

In my opinion, this is a huge barrier for many new investors- they think they understand value better than a seller might and they try to convince someone their property is worth less than the seller believes it to be- that's a rookie mistake.

There are so many great strategies to help you scale your portfolio, so I understand your desire to find the right plan and avoid mistakes.

Start small and make your mistakes then.Don’ttrust me.

Our company has designed over 100 flips for Real Estate Investors in 12 states, and one of the biggest mistakes that we see our investors (try to) make is always going BOLD with the design!

Feel free to DM me if you'd like more insights on all this (we don't do biz in Alabama so got nothing to lose).Here's some other "copy & paste" advice on how to search for a better PMC:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

It’s better to spend a little now than risk costly mistakes later.

My friend said "I hope it was a mistake and not SOP" It is their SOP sad to say.

Just like professional athletes who still work with coaches to hone their skills, a real estate mentor or coach can provide you with valuable insights, shortcuts, and strategies that can help you avoid mistakes and fast-track your success.

Don't discount your property and don't make the newbie mistake of renting to friends and family.