Are there unnecessary expenses that can be cut out?

I tend not to worry about unnecessary details that don't affect my bottomline.

Getting a cheap accountant who is not a real estate expert may backfire in unnecessary taxes and in problems down the road.That said, there're a few investors on this board who love to brag how their CPA charges them a lot less, so you may try your luck there.Your timing is tough however if you're talking about 2019 tax returns.

For example, depending on the costs involved you might want to consider incentivizing your tenants who do not have any unnecessary repairs each year. 

Also, many people working with a property manager may want to bring in their own maintenance (project manager) as it reduces the incentive for property managers to overcharge you or find unnecessary maintenance tasks to do - provided you find a good project manager who is interested in your long-term success.

Hello Everyone,  thanks for the abundance of replies and great info.I was considering acting as the GC myself to make sure everything progressed in a timely manner to avoid unnecessary delays, however what I should be focusing on instead is to act as the Project Manager or hire a 3rd party Project Manager.  

They build up all of this unnecessary pressure around getting everything perfect.

Being an out of state investor, the vast majority of them will absolutely rob you blind with service charges for unwarranted / unnecessary "maintenance" calls etc. 

I agree that lease renewal fees are unnecessary and I avoid companies that charge them.

This will prevent unnecessary moisture to collect on the ceiling.