However I have only hired a contractor once (Bath Planet of the Southern Tier) and it was a huge headache and it would have been less stressful if I did it myself. 

Everyone thinks the grass is greener someplace else.

The grass always looks greener on the other side...but if your making 10% ROI on an investment that on average returns around 7% in your area, I'd say the grass is pretty green where you are. 

Here are few quick thoughts. 1) I'd sell the student rentals to avoid over saturation and too much competition. 2) Make sure that exchanging your other properties is not simply because of grass is greener thinking. 3) Diversify!

I must have been on a diff planet.....

I doubt such an issue would wait 36 to 48 hours until you can arrange travel back from the other side of the planet to deal with it.It may be that there are a lot of bad PMs out there.

I currently rent the SFR via management company, to a long term tenant who is on a fixed income and can't help but wonder if the grass is greener in the vacation rental space.

The grass is not greener on the other side of the fence, it is just a different shade of green, and a newbie should be very careful smoking what others have rolled for them without experience or detailed knowledge of the field from which it came.

I could work with the most trusted, loyal turnkey provider with the best customer service on the planet, but if the property I get from them isn't up to par, then what I thought of the turnkey provider is completely negated.

The grass can be greener on the other side....I source and buy deals with at 30% cap (no BS) and sell them to over seas investors for 15%@ Brian McArthurI own multi-family in the northeast also, pm and i'll see if i can help.