My agent was a very nice older lady, but no idea about investing, it all worked out and once the first rent checks started coming in started gaining some confidence.

Money saved can be seen as money gained.

Additionally, when underwriting deals, you need to account for the general idea that repairs and maintenance will be a larger percentage of your rent, the lower your rental is.  

if you have lived in the property for 2 out of the least 5 years you will not pay taxes on the gain, so if you want to sell make sure you do it soon enough to take advantage of that tax advantage.  

As a backup plan, if I have to go with a local PM company that only leases the entire home, could I use an addendum to add additional tenants to the existing lease while ensuring everything is legally structured?

@Jade Frank I agree with what @Dominic Mazzarella and others are saying here, but If you find the downside outweighs the gain and you ultimately decide to sell the property, Since the property was held for investment use it would qualify for a 1031 exchange. 

And if you join Lowe's Pros, you'll get an additional discount (it's free to join).

I know this is a very old thread but if anyone comes across it I wanted to add some additional thoughts that might be helpful.

I have additional questions but am running short of time drafting this post.

Additionally, it’s a good idea to network with local real estate agents who specialize in short-term or mid-term rental markets.Good luck with your new venture!