To communicate that a candidate doesn’t meet your qualifications without violating fair housing rules, you can simply focus on the criteria rather than the individual.

Rent was due by 5th but no communication on late payment and is not responding to my text/emails. 

After communicating with a prospective resident (Google Voice #, usually by text), with just a name, telephone number and email, the applicant can pay $55 to provide us with a background, eviction and credit check.

-I'm fairly careful with communication , but again, I know doing business online is way riskier, but I want to ask: Typically, I would trust someone who seems very in-depth, informative (gives statistics and numbers), and basically would give me thorough steps (including worst-case scenarios and what would best fit my situation)^^would people who have experience say that even with the above, some agents/lenders/PMs would still be sort of out to get your money and do a lousy job?

I've built relationships with property managers who have distressed properties in their portfolios that can communicate directly to owners. 

Mine was also out of state, in a town I’d never visited, and I relied heavily on videos from my agent.This sounds like a tough first deal, but it seems like you have some capital on the side, which will be useful as you face the upcoming challenges and learn from those expensive early mistakes.Regarding the subject of this post, “help me adjust my expectations,” I’d recommend assuming that; repairs will cost twice as much as you estimate, maintenance and vacancy rates will likely double from your initial projections, there’s a very real chance you may lose money on this deal.That said, there are ways to mitigate these risks by:- Keep asking questions here on BP and connecting with local experts- Stay proactive and communicative with your agent and property manager.And remember “Inspect what you expect.”Im not trying to discourage you but to help reset your expectations.

But then it was a nightmare of communication, we soon realized that we had to do a bunch of songs and dances to convince them to sponsor our deal, it took 4 or 5 days for them to make time to sit down with us only to tell us that we needed to schedule another meeting in another 4 or 5 days to get Tyler on the phone and let us try and convince them to sponsor us and by that time someone else was awarded the deal and we lost out.

Some key qualities to look for include:- **Responsive communication**: A PM company that keeps you in the loop and addresses issues promptly- **Local expertise**: Knowledge of the Birmingham market and experience with Section 8 tenants.- **Proactive maintenance**: Regular inspections and quick resolution of maintenance issues to keep tenants happy and properties in good condition- **Transparent reporting**: Clear and detailed financial reports so you know exactly where your money is goingIf your current PM isn’t meeting these standards, it might be worth exploring other options.

Prompt, great communication, efficient ... and most importantly they are 100% legit 😉

STRs also avoid automatic classification as passive if rented for seven days or fewer per tenant.To maximize tax benefits, maintain detailed logs of all hours worked on activities like tenant communication, cleaning, maintenance, and marketing.