One recommendation is find a good property manager, he will be an important key player

The opposite is true.Is it a good idea to hire a basketball coach so you can be a better player?

@Suzanne Player, I suspect that can be buffed out of the surface.

I would ask your realtor for local property management referrals, they will be the best source of the top local players in your market3.

Both with small new investors and big players.  

Appfolio, Rentvine, Buildium are the 3 big players in the market.

Over the course of time I have grown to appreciate players like Chris Seveney and some others, but it took me time.

Have you noticed how Mercedes Benz, traditionally a strong player in dealership franchises, is now moving towards direct online sales, the Tesla sales model.From what I understand, the reason behind this move is pretty clear.

No matter what market you select, you need to spend a lot of time there getting to know the market and the “players” in that market.Which of these markets can you get to easily and often?

If you took the top 3 players to lunch or dinner quarterly, you'd spend a lot less yet gain a lot of knowledge.