Also, I would try and get professional photos before the tenants move in.

(The rental market is strong - these costs are largely due to a problem tenant who recently left the property.)Both properties are rented to Section 8 tenants and professionally managed.

He jumped on the short-term rental bandwagon, hired a property management company to handle the day-to-day, and hoped to write off a hefty sum against his W2 income.However, his journey took a turn for the worse when he got audited by the IRS.

What is a reasonable cost for hiring a CPA? 

Buy something that will be in demand for years to come and rent to tenants you want to rent to (college, young professionals, families, grandparents).

Readers should seek professional advice.

If you just hire the cheapest or first PMC you speak with and it turns into a bad experience, please don’t assume ALL PMC’s are bad and start trashing PMC’s in general.

What would your STR numbers look like if you hired a local STR PMC?

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

Don't hire people to run your account to reach more people, just show up for 30 minutes a day and make good comments and good connections without asking for anything.