However, if you SEM rush competitors in my market, you see plenty of black hat tactics, including purchased links.

I currently rent and have a fur baby - not everyone allows it though as you mention. 

Makes me wonder though as it took us 10+ years of hammering the pavement and setting up systems, processes, manuals, procedures, personnel, tech, etc... before we could open the doors to "out of house" investors and before we could claim "We are a reputable and organized property management company".How the F@#$ do investors succeed in making the whole process work from afar is mind boggling to me.Again, big hat's off to those that succeed as I couldn't and thus why I moved to the best country in the world.God Bless America and here is to another 10+ years and standing the test of time (Before AI and the terminator take over lol)

Hat's off to you for creating it

You sound like you are all hat and no cattle.

Why don't you put one ping-pong ball representing each qualified tenant in a hat and have a non-interested party draw a ball?

If buying somewhere you like to go makes it more likely you will learn the market hat may be a good thing. 

Sounds like your pulling places out of a hat (Phoenix AZ, Columbus OH, Dallas TX). 

...even if it's $5-$6k/mo cashflow, to most people, that's not enough to hang their hat on for the rest of their lives (unless they're living a very conservative lifestyle).Most people can't retire on the cashflow from one single fam property...but 4, 5, or 6 properties?

But put on your miners hat and start digging.