This owner found a free lease template online that provided very little landlord protections. 

I've heard some rumors of Airdna skewing data a bit (I've heard this first hand and read online.)

I don’t think it matters one way or the other just make sure they have some sort of online portal.

I didn’t know anyone in Alabama, so I called a few agents I found online and ended up picking one from BiggerPockets.

You can also check their reviews online at Google, Facebook, or Yelp.

I've been running the numbers on different properties using a variety of online calculators for properties that I initially thought looked like there may be potential.

I recommend doing your research and looking at properties online. 

The only costs are hourly wages to an assistant to respond to the tenants if something comes up like a question about the online payment portal system or something else.

I've been doing my own bookkeeping on Quickbooks online and it doesn't take too long. 

Additionally, not all transaction types support Locations, meaning you'll have to create journal entries to correct them—requiring a solid understanding of debits and credits, which can be time-consuming and error-prone.Instead, I recommend biting the bullet and upgrading to QuickBooks Online Plus for each entity.