I look for markets with a COC that fills my appetite and that has a critical number of vendors that can service me (eg: property managers and cleaners).

One thing I learned from a long career in public service is that it is better to underpromise and overdeliver than the other way around. 

And behind the umbrella policy can be a complex web of corporations, LLCs, and trusts to protect you.Asset protection can get very complicated.

The real estate company offers syndications and syndication education services.

And btw, if rates fall even more over the next year, maybe you refi down from 6.5 to say 5.5 which would make you another 4k a year in profit.What I like to do is look at the investment 10 years from now.1)  20k  Rental profit should go up from 5k to about 20k to 25k a year in year 10/11 if you figure historical rent increases out there and the fact that your mortgage stays the same - even with services like cleaning and property management going up some too. 

@Seth Mattox it can be done from a distance, but I think the quality of service will be sub-par and it will take a lot of extra effort.

Here are some companies to look into.Advantage Heating and CoolingBCS Air SolutionsBarkers CoolingMalek Service Company

I understand the basics of legal entities and that his company, Corporate Direct, provides these business formation services and has their own CPA recommendations.

They now self perform all of their construction (along with offering 3rd party construction management services).

I'm a long time professional property manager and I'm not afraid to deal with delinquency or other legal matters myself, so I only pay for the services I want, like screenings and the tenant payment portal.