you can get financing witha  LLC but the lender will require a personal guarantee on the loan.

Management fees are steep, you're competing w/ bigger operators as well as mom & pop places - it's hard to get the personalized care needed, in my opinion, to be successful. 

The setup felt like a personal connection all in pursuit of getting your business.  90% of it was done by AI and the other 10% came when a live rep was available.

I work with a lot of MTR investors and what I am seeing frequently with multifamily acquisitions, particularly with new investors, is that they often test the property just like you're mentioning, as a way to dip their toes in the water and see what works in their area and for their personal style.

You should make one trip to the area for 3 days and network in person.

My personal experience after 40 + years in the real estate industry is that “wholesaling” is a very INEFFICIENT AND INEFFECTIVE way to gain knowledge and experience relative to real estate.

Like Jonathan said, in-person meetings with other investors is the best place.

Maytag and Whirlpool are good imo.I personally also avoid ice makers and water dispensers.

@Adam RossRecommend 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.

We purchased an RV last year under our personal names that is primarily used for business travel.