You have to find the right strategy that fits your options...listen to everyone and verify what you hear because everyone will have their own opinion...Most of the west is more expensive than the Midwest and Mideast of the country...You might want to visit the areas and interview your potential team in person or trust what you are shown through videos of the areas or ... sometimes you can make a killing on an area that everyone thinks is unsafe and you find a that is very safe and cheaper than it should be, because it is near unsafe area or people think it is unsafe.

@Jon LaGuardia I’m not in the course yet but Ive been interviewed.

You can, and should, interview them and ask them all of the appropriate screening questions - but you won't be able to "test" them out without contributing significant capital as part of your test. 

No matter what you do, you cannot replace the value of boots on the ground so the next best thing(in our experience) is spend some time down there, interview some potential handymen etc. and forge a relationship, we have multiple that we have connected with in person and when you make a personal connection with them they will take care of your property better, especially in an emergency situation.

i=1000500156216If you haven’t heard of Anthony Pompliano, he has a lot of interviews and information of BTC.

Regardless of how you find them, try to interview at least three managers1.

Do some research to learn how a good property manager behaves, then spend a LOT of time researching and interviewing until you find a quality manager.Remember: cheaper doesn't mean you'll make more money.Start by going to www.narpm.org to search their directory of managers.

I would look into some local or state-centric FB groups to see if you can find hosts who recommend someone or even a few PMs to interview.

If you're worried about their knowledge in a specific state ask questions regarding that during your interview.

If you really don't value your agent's ability and think you can do it better, it's likely best that you 1) interview more to find one that you do trust, 2) go through the listing agent, directly, if you're that comfortable with handling your side on your own, or 3) maybe get your license so you can control your side of negotiations with the proper tools needed (MLS access with agent info, showings, contracts, tax records, uploaded listing docs like surveys, disclosures, broker assistance for questions, etc.).