Alternatives include Stessa (free) and Buildium (more robust, pricier).For testing, a phased approach is generally best.

•Run your numbers conservatively and stress-test your investment.Lastly, I’d reconsider Section 8 (S8) for your first deal.

And the self-showings, Zillow just did the biggest beta test of this, and it failed epically. unless loosing tens of millions is the goal, if that's the goal than they hit it out of the park. 

Researched, test drove for a weekend, comfortable with buying it.

Financing- build a relationship with a regional banker, don’t shop for interest rates, start small and build history and loyalty they are your team, Cross collateralize, deposit CD/MM or custodial account with bank for loan, give them monthly updates, nail your deal analysis, do stress tests on your deal analysis-cost/interest rate/deal length/ sale price etc. 12.

At that point we tested the waters and gave them the option to keep the money or to reinvest it in another property.

See the stress test above.  

It's still important for each individual to test the software platforms to see which one they prefer.

Test out.

Just keep an eye on how both markets are performing, and maybe start small, like taking out $50k, so you can test the waters without over-leveraging.