They can't assess all the subjective data like overall layout, view from the living room window, the dogs next door that bark all day, the width of doorways, size of individual rooms, quality of kitchen cabinets and appliances, etc.The best thing to do is study your market regularly.

Once you narrow it down, start with small jobs to test their reliability and quality before giving them bigger projects.Building a solid network takes time, but having dependable people on call is a lifesaver for your rentals.

Buy a quality property, stay away from the hood, rehab it as if you would move in, take your time picking a tenant, you'll be find.

The mayor has been hot on out of state investors and poor property managers since his campaign. 

@Derick JenningsRecommend 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?

The scope of work, quality needed, location etc will determine the cost.

Cost per lead (CPL) is crucial—it shows how much you're paying to get a potential seller or buyer’s info, and you want this as low as possible without sacrificing quality.

Some of the materials we choose and asked him to pick up (such as flooring) he replaced with low quality materials, I assume to keep more of our money for himself. 

Don't invest in a market if you can't find a quality PM!

@Nick HulmeMaking improvements to your primary to make it high quality enough to rent above market rents, rent it.