@Paola AstridRecommend 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.

I know this post is old, but just in case someone sees this and wants information, I will report back on how it goes.

Good post with a few good ideas, thanks.A note about San Antonio, is that it historically has a big turnover in homes due to the military bases in the area.

@Christian HwangI know it's only been a couple weeks since you first posted but was this thread helpful to you? 

Post on local Facebook pages for contractor referrals, go to local REIAs, and ask your potential agents and PMs (even if not using a PM at first...you may at some point).There is only so much that service providers can do and many of them are far from "experts"; so, be prepared to be your own expert at being willing to figure stuff out as you move forward.

Much like a mailed check/money order is "paid" when it is post marked as it isn't the tenant fault if 1st class mail takes 3 weeks (which actually happens sometimes!).

Hi @Alex Bockey I know this is an older thread (wow..we’re talking about a post from around 7 years ago!)

Hey Jerryll,Apologies as well, to clarify my post, the property is currently still with the owner (off-market) and I reference the information on the MLS since it is the information that's currently available to the public, so just providing a frame of reference to support the info in my post.

I’d be interested in keeping up with this post.

If you're expecting property owners to sell their home to you at a discount, you'll need to earn their trust - whether that be by demonstrating a successful track record with purchasing/selling similar deals OR by meeting them face to face and separating yourself from the dozens of local investors and realtors.Lastly, I'd recommend searching past posts related to this topic as well as checking out books related to your target investment strategies.All the best!