But what separates the top investors and house buyers from those who quit?

Welcome and Good Luck @William Grantham BP is a great place to learn and get assistance.

@Daniel LangRecommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

you'll probably still need something long term like software as others have suggested but this was a thought i had... you could see the actual profit or loss from a tax perspective for each property.

@Paul MooreInterested in learning more about this subject as.

Quote from @Jay Papasan: Quote from @Mario Morales: yes, under my name.  

I bet this person paid less than a grand for the rights. and will want 10k from you...

Learning to manage locally is trial by fire. 

Quote from @Jared Goldwasser: I live in Los Angeles and am looking to purchase my first investment property this year -- interested in single family or duplex units.

My passion lies in expanding my portfolio of long-term rentals and diving into property flipping as I grow in this journey.My main goals are to connect with like-minded investors and professionals, share experiences, and soak up as much knowledge as I can from this incredible community.If you’re based in Georgia or working on similar projects, I’d love to connect and hear about your journey!