There are certainly some things to learn along the way, but you'll figure it out as you go just like we all do.There are plenty of folks here that would be happy to help for free - including me.

We don't believe they are stealing, but their negligence has cost us a lot of money.* Is this enough to file suit in small claims court? 

Unless it is a new build, and it comes with purchase warranties are an extra cost and may or may not even be executed when needed depending on the circumstances. 

So this is creating more competition and more agreesive rent rates and/or concessions like 1 month free to get those vacancies filled.

With the equity you’d free up, paying off $50k in personal debt and boosting your credit score while freeing up $3k/month sounds like it could significantly lower your stress and open doors for future projects.That said, selling means you’d lose a cash-flowing asset, even if it’s not huge.

The easiest way to find and connect with wholesalers is either bigger pockets or by googling "sell my house fast in (town name)" although that may cost them a click for google ads.

Starting with house hacking is a smart move, especially in a higher-cost area.

Yes, I’ve got a mortgage on it now, but my cash flow went from only $1000/month to $2400/month and I picked up 3 more properties basically for free with no out of pocket cash to buy them. 

The overhead to start a company is low, but the cost to scale is high. 

Feel free to message me separately if you'd like.