. - We always recommend buying your first rental locally if possible and DIY managing to learn as much as possible before investing OOS.2) Lots of crooks and incompetents in the PMC world:( They both cost you money.- As already stated, you'll have a small portfolio.

If you’re looking for DIY options, PropStream and DealMachine can give you some lien info, but they may not always be 100% accurate or up-to-date.For Central Ohio, check with the county recorder’s office or clerk of courts for lien and judgment records.

Whether you need a CPA with just three rentals depends on the complexity of your situation and your comfort level with DIY tax prep.If things are pretty straightforward, you might be fine with tax software for now.

Studies typically cost $3,000–$5,000 but affordable DIY options (around $400–$500) exist for simpler properties.

Read some books, preferably those written prior to 2015 when YouTube gurus started telling everyone how easy it is to buy 17 houses a year with no money down.Investing is pretty simple if you just follow the process investors were using since the beginning of time.

@Hiyun Park only experienced investors can DIY everything in Class C Midwest areas like Detroit, Cleveland, St Louis, etc.Hopefully the info below will help you:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

Granted we only have 17 but still, I’ve never used anything except a simple excel spreadsheet and all my rental properties have a separate savings account under my main account at my local bank.

@Chris Kay to learn to properly DIY manage you have two basic options:1) Trial & fire on your own, hopefully not making a major mistake that costs you tens of thousands of dollars.- Once your time is more impotant to you then the cost of a PMC, you can hire one.2) Hire a PMC to guide you on your first rental and learn from their expertise.- You can buy additional properties and DIY manage those, perhaps leaning on the PMC for any issues you're not sure how to handle on your own.Good luck:)

, but very difficult to DIY remote manage.

Are they being professionally managed or DIY managed?