Publish what those rents are and indicate that you will be moving all rents to better align with the market. 

So far, I haven't found one that makes much sense, but I'm learning and refining.I'm not planning to tackle something to the scale of a 200+ unit class A apartment complex, while it might be less risk it also means lower margins and I'm not interested in being a passive investor and I don't want to start there (unless the stars aligned somehow). 

Also, a good PM is very aligned with your goals as their ability to operate profitably is very tied the the performance of the properties.

I appreciate everyone's responses and it really helped me focus on aligning my goals. 

I have been investing with a company that offers shares in portfolios of 10 SFR that the managers co-own, for aligned interest.  

In this case it sounds like the applicants might score the same, but one would get a few extra points for having a move in date that better aligns to my date.  

I have a home that is for sale that just had its inspection and there are several things that need to be fixed but I would prefer not to go through my contractor since he would be very expensive.The items are things like patching a small foundation crack, scrubbing a small bit of mold from the crawlspace and fixing the alignment on one of the closet doors, etc. things like that.Appreciate any referrals!

While their services were awesome, their cost aligned itself better to someone with a much larger portfolio.

Much of what you cite above does not align with my understanding.#1: no tenant is going to be okay with you raising the rents, no matter how much nicer you want to make the property.#2 you need a darn good attorney who understands the NYC laws.

You have to know how to identify the sellers needs and aligning those needs with a unique offer.