I would also recommend paying attention to the landlord restrictions, rent control and overall laws as it relates to owner/tenant relationships.

I also don't want to focus on one market, and not be able to score the right property for who knows how long, and then end up missing out on other locations, as being a long distance land lord is very popular as well.

I wish I had better news but this has been my experience in talking with other landlords who do use them or have in the past.

Off-market deals are key if you go this route, so networking is huge.Out-of-state investing is another option people love, especially in markets like PA (Philly, Scranton) or even down south where prices are lower, and the landlord-tenant laws are more forgiving.

When I was in college, my landlord would just walk into the house uninvited without even knocking.

You’ll learn the ropes on how to be a landlord with a lower risk/higher quality tenant-base. 

If it has any basis at all (such as you left the apartment during your lease term for what you felt was a justifiable reason and stopped paying rent, but the landlord disagreed) then you may be better off paying a rather small settlement.  

Should landlords put signs on rental properties?

Hi Daniel, condos can be a great low-maintenance option for LTRs, especially for absentee landlords since the HOA handles exterior upkeep.

One of the biggest challenges for everyone involved is being on the same page about the actual time required for maintenance.DIY landlords rarely properly track their time when it comes to property management in general - tracking their true time invested in maintenance is where they perform the worst.Investors that hire PMCs are rarely any better at understanding the true amount of time maintenance takes.