Nowadays I have a roster of probably 30 vendors that I can reach out to (and sometimes I blast through all my options for a particular problem).The biggest challenge is find good handymen for doing low hanging fruit (fix outlets, fix sink, change light fixture, spackle/paint).

Everything people I know are telling me is 200 a month isn’t worth it and to hang tight for a better deal.

Not sure if this may break the deal or not.I expect to run the management once I get the hang of it, for now happy to pay for the continuity of property management while I "figure it out" and eventually scale back the W2 job.Am I forgetting anything? 

I should pass my Florid RE sales associate license this month and I’ll need to “hang” my license w a broker.

He just lets me hang it under his license (I have only used it a few times anyway).It’s a good idea, but it would have to be with someone else.

It's like a blackhole - once it's starts it's nearly impossible for these places to reverse the trends - a few places in KS have gotten better - Dodge City, Garden City, Hays - they hang on and are relatively "progressive" (I use that term loosely) compared to their other rural neighboring cities) and have found a way to survive and somewhat thrive in today's society.  

Its a quick 2 day in-person class if you do the 1st part as self-study, and there are plenty of 100% brokerages here that just charge you $50 or less per month to hang your license with them.

One smoke detectors were taken off the ceiling and hanging by the wire, he said the wire was not connected. 

I considered that, but ultimately they want to hang onto these properties for monthly cash flow so a JV may be more appropriate.

Hang in there, Keep putting yourself out there, don't be a "Secret Agent".