First off, I do want to state that I'm not a lawyer and that you should consult your specific situation with your lawyer for the definitive answer. 

You can also consult with lenders, brokers and ask them for suggestions on who might be a good real estate mentor and most will be able to provide one.

On the other hand, if I do go through insurance, they might find reasons not to pay out, resulting in another zero-dollar claim.Do you have any recommendations for where to find a reliable, trustworthy, transparent, and accurate insurance company or agent?

Effective remote management hinges on strong organization, reliable local contacts, and leveraging technology for efficient communication and oversight. 

When deciding between managing your own property or hiring a professional service, consider these key factors: your available time and expertise, knowledge of local regulations, property scale and location, access to reliable maintenance resources, tenant management capabilities, financial implications, emergency responsiveness, and personal preference for hands-on versus delegated management.

After giving the past tenant time to pay the bill the property management company then sent the tenant to collections without consulting me. 

Start with cities with a metro population of >1M if you want long-term, reliable income.

Hospitable integrated with pricelabs and my smart lock.I find hospitable to be very easy to use and reliable. it’s not as robust as some, but does the basic tasks really well

+1 for consulting your CPA for this type of question.

It's good to build a reputation of reliable person who stands by what they say and does his best to deliver the best product for the buck.Never forget, this is a for profit business.