I relied on a property manager who ended up really messing me up.

Property management is "a", as in singular, fee for all standard property management. 

Also, any advice on managing budgets for PPC in the real estate sector would be really helpful.Thanks in advance for any insights. 

I had read Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and this property fit the bill for something we could live in while going to school.

Investment Info:Single-family residence buy & hold investment. 1st home turned into long-term rental property in 2002.

Investor focused realtors & Property managers are going to be your biggest asset since they'll be finding your deals & managing the day to day operations for you.

You could also look for a partner/investor to buy you out over time.Regarding PMC's, most of the horror stories are based on:1) Selecting the cheapest PMC2) Unrealistic expectations3) Lack of engagement by owner with PMCBelow is our advice on screening PMCs:Recommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

Depending on your experience, strategy, and risk tolerance it could take 6-12 months to buy your first property.

With that said, you can set up searches on ZIllow/Redfin or work with a realtor who specializes in investment properties, specifically value-add real estate (for your BRRR strategy) and have them set up an MLS search for this criteria that they would then send you hourly/daily/weekly/ad hoc

What is the best option for a landlord policy for someone who owns multiple rental properties(AZ and CA) and has no primary home or an auto?