I'm wondering how anyone does it in this area, or maybe I just have not been looking for long enough.I really would like to purchase in my area as it would be my first rental property, and I am most familiar with the northern VA area If this is not to be, I also am wondering what markets nearby would be better.I’m also in Fairfax County, and you’re absolutely right: Fairfax County and much of Northern VA are tough markets for cash flow, especially starting out without a substantial down payment.

Ok to use an example or intended vertical blinds vs receipt for purchased blinds? 

The interface is user-friendly, and the reporting tools are especially helpful for tracking property performance.One downside is that it can be a bit pricey for smaller portfolios, but the features have been worth it for me.

I see it that your first decision is; to scale (grow), to coast (doesn't sound of interest or else you wouldn't be asking these questions, right), to exit (cash-out) or to transfer. 

Now I've got a property under contract:$78K purchase$35K in development of utilities.$24K in soft costs (permits impact fees etc)$200K (or less) buildout of the house (size tbd on after-build-appraisal) Likely going with 2/2 A frame 1000 sf.

Does the LLC legally own the property that was purchased? 

Partnering with others can help you scale your business and access greater resources.

The snow companies that are good can be really pricey and we have had issues with some of the smaller guys in past.

The new buyer could certainly scale back on the "curb appeal". 

I contacted Buildium and they confirmed they do not offer credit card tracking, but offered a workaround which was to set up a credit card as a bank account, and when there is a balance it's just always negative in the bank account, and this would allow you to track individual purchases like it was a checking account.