They will not communicate, they will not complete the agreed upon work, and they will run you around in circles.

However, if you clearly communicated a $15K budget, I’d stick to that and ask them to discuss the overages with the contractor to find a resolution.As a side note, always try to maintain reserves for your properties.

They only communicate through chat and email.

Make sure the previous property management company did their job and communicated a change in management prior to you taking over--along with your contact information.If they have no done this, they should so the tenant doesn't feel like a scam may be going on.Just make sure they're away of where rent payments need to go and who they can contact in the future. 

It’s a smart move, especially since it ties in with your goal of saving for your first investment.For skills, you probably already have a good foundation with your sales experience—things like communication, organization, and dealing with clients are all super valuable.

There was no communication that was truthful.

That can make it easier to communicate the opportunity effectivelyTo expand efficiently, consider targeting local real estate meetups or investment groups San Diego has a strong investor community.

The communication was prompt.

@Corbett BrasingtonIf you are communicating with the seller directly, better to have less people talking to the seller.The realtor can have some roles as follows1) Connect you with his references for property management / contractors / title companies / etc2) Give you comps to indicate what the property is worthBest of luck

But it might be a good idea to raise rates each year or so by $50 to $100 because it can communicate that you aren't completely checked out, and you value your property, your time, your investment.