Mine was also out of state, in a town I’d never visited, and I relied heavily on videos from my agent.This sounds like a tough first deal, but it seems like you have some capital on the side, which will be useful as you face the upcoming challenges and learn from those expensive early mistakes.Regarding the subject of this post, “help me adjust my expectations,” I’d recommend assuming that; repairs will cost twice as much as you estimate, maintenance and vacancy rates will likely double from your initial projections, there’s a very real chance you may lose money on this deal.That said, there are ways to mitigate these risks by:- Keep asking questions here on BP and connecting with local experts- Stay proactive and communicative with your agent and property manager.And remember “Inspect what you expect.”Im not trying to discourage you but to help reset your expectations.

I'm very proud of my New Orleans property; it will be tough for me to sell it one day.

So it's a tough situation for us.

I'm debating sponsoring other areas to hang my material up.What ways do you like to promote your business?

starting with a flip" is really tough because flipping takes capital. 

I work with these two:Metro Detroit Property Management - Mark HutterNHL Property management - Howard GenserThere are a tonne of companies and each one has had good and bad experiences, so no one in particular stands out.One part of the equation is that the Detroit market itself is a tough place and is not for the novice investors.Only seasoned and large volume Investors make it successful in Detroit.

STR markets are tough and change fast, best of luck!

One tough thing is finding an agent that really cares and knows what they are doing. 

Overseeing tradesmen while they work on your properties sounds like material participation to me.

If you're looking for something turnkey it will be pretty tough.