Hello BP community.I currently make 125 k a year and I own 1 property that is performing well as an STR.I dont have the upfront cash to purchase another for a down payment but my parents are interested in financing my down payment with a 5% interest rate. 

There are considerable costs associated with performing profitably. 

So what you have is a great performing high value property.

Generally speaking a PM is going to take the lion's share of your cash flow, so if you don't absolutely need them, the cost isn't worth it.  20-30% is a good estimate, but in my primary market 30-40% is the going rate - and the performance a property gets through a PM is not going to be as good as one that is self-managed!  

Having said that, I am getting much better at analyzing properties on my own and have a specific set of criteria a property MUST meet and perform enough due-diligence research that the chance of missing major red flags are getting smaller and smaller.And yes, as the overwhelming majority of foreclosures are either cancelled or "purchased" by the plaintiff (bank) and the limited inventory (at least in Hillsborough County) is often bid-up by neophytes or snatched up by large wholesalers and other REI firms that specialize in flipping C-class properties, there are few opportunities for us little fish.To keep myself motivated, I've been keeping a log of properties that went to third-party bidders (i.e. private buyers) which I could have bought had I been monitoring the auctions during periods when I was too busy to do so.

We have seen a lot of investors take purchases they may sevearl years ago cashing in by doing a 1031 exchange (deferring capital gains and buying better performing assets that gives you more cash flow) into markets like KC. 

Perform a comprehensive market analysis in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, taking into account the demand for rentals, property values, market trends, and attractive neighborhoods.4.

Due to the expected influx, which will be primarily people wasting my time wanting me to write up their weak offers, we will be charging fees to unrepresented buyers for services they want us to perform.

Some do commercial, some do residential, some do performing, some do non performing....It will be difficult to get some info on them, as if they are 100% private they can say whatever they want too and there is no way to tell if the information is correct or manipulated. 

In which markets have you noticed particularly strong performance recently in terms of rental demand and occupancy rates?