There currently appears to be a flow of investors still buying and renovating properties in this area, which seems encouraging.

The town is encouraging home ownership, so buying a condo/single, living in it for a year plus and then renting out works fine here (what I did), whilst house hacking a multi is more complex.

I’ll keep your offer in mind as I evaluate opportunities and have questions about loan products or financing options.Thank you again for the support and encouragement.

However, I always encourage investors to do their own due diligence.

Feel free to DM me if you'd like more insights on all this (we don't do biz in Alabama so got nothing to lose).Here's some other "copy & paste" advice on how to search for a better PMC:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend 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 will also strongly encourage accessibility for pets as well. 

@Tannia CastroRecommend 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.

Also, I'd encourage you to think long term. 20-30 years from now, it won't matter if you bought your first property now or 3 years from now.'

Late payments, property damage, and evictions are avoidable when you have a PM who knows how to find reliable renters.I encourage you to seek out a property management company that emphasizes tenant screening and uses modern tools for verification.

The tips on finding deals, analyzing properties, and studying the market are invaluable, and I'll start practicing the "four square" method as you recommended.Thank you for the encouragement to jump in and get started.