The managers are non-communicative.

Quote from @John Friendas: Hey,My investing partner and I have reached an agreement where he would have the debt under his name and apply for it individually, and I would do the majority of the management (he is out of state and my income is half his).

I'm not counting those since I don't manage them, but I typically avoid cities and states with laws antagonistic to landlords.

Metron and Southern Water Management are two that we've been talking to.

You could reach out to a few Property Managers in Salt Lake City to see if any of them would be able to give you advice for the area, as they would be familiar with the region and what to expect from the investment! 

I would focus on a duplex first so you learn house hacking and management of one tenant.

That is a good thing but if you have never managed it can still go sideways.

Top 3 reasons owners hire PMCs:1) No time to manage correctly2) No time to learn how to manage correcly: laws, documents, processes, etc.3) They're too nice and need someone to "save them from themselves"A good PMC can usually earn their fees by better managing the property/tenant than the owner, thereby:1) Increasing owners net profit2) Decreasing owner's time commitment, stress, headaches, etc.No matter what though, you should always plan to commit a couple of hours a month to manage your PMC.

Truly Passive: No management, no tenants, no repairs, just consistent income.3.

Sincerely,Gabe There are a bunch of fund managers here on BP.