If you are already planning to buy out-of-state and use property management, you are leaving money on the table and may want to look into more passive strategies since you don't seem to want to do management and you will still need to manage the manager.2.

Hi Steve, welcome to BP!

Having a "master" accounting software allows you to blend all property-specific info with general business info to see your full financial picture. 

I think you really have to be absorbed into the forums to start to understand who is here to just learn and converse and who is here to make a profit.

There are no laws restricting mark-to-market rents. 

As there is a general flight to affordability, the new developments don't fill as quickly, and rely on concessions and/or lower asking rents to fill up.  

Hi @Adam AeroIt's good to have goals in mind.

I ask have they been to the area before?

Me and my partner moved from Utah to Maryland for school recently and we have a townhouse that we are looking to rent. we are currently remodeling and changing a few things before renting. what are the first steps to change my primary to a rental I lived there for about two years.

I like the Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing.