Cash - A stranger showed me compassion unlike any other.

It will show you aren't flying by the seat of  your pants and that you are treating them the same as anyone else.My policy is simple: treat everyone the same.If an apartment opens up and a complete stranger wants to rent it, they follow this process:1.

Don't take free advice from strangers on the internet!

However, you will likely need experience managing a property or two before strangers hire you.If you want to work with an existing company, I recommend making a list of all the property management companies in your market (you can simply perform a Google search or look at rental listings) who manage the types of properties you want to manage (either SFRs, small multifamily under 50 units, and apartments) and start reaching out.

If you want your own apartment/home, go with a duplex/triplex/quadplex.If you have friends you want to live with or are open to strangers living in your own space then you can go with the single family or condo.I live in/own a duplex in NJ. 

But I don't think I'd entrust a PM or other stranger to care for a property that can't be profitably turned into a long term rental should the STR thing not work out.

Someone well qualified asked for an exception, and I said I would consider it if I met the pets in thier existing home “to see how they greet strangers”.

It also is WAY less bothersome to your existing tenant, who isn't having strangers walk through their home over and over again. 

Is it better to rent to people you know, or to strangers?

Id never let some stranger enter one of my properties without someone there.