@Stacey OlsonRecommend 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.

Buying in a high COLA with loss protection is a no-brainer in my book, but only if you expect to relo again.

Speaking of which.. what’s your plan if the property needs more updates than expected..would you hold it longer, or look for other creative ways to make it work? 

But if you aren't expecting that, it can be a shock when you first see it.  

The real estate investing industry uses "Classes" to rank property performance risk, but there's NO agreed upon industry model:(Here's what we use for our Metro Detroit market:Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

I'd love to hear your feedback on success or struggles and anything I should expect.

We tell everyone to expect it to take a little while, there is so much to choose from right now. 

In conclusion: because Kiavi does not know or does not care about Taylor’s chronic ineptitude; because Kiavi has never bothered to put together an introductory email document to clients explaining the steps, requirements and responsibilities of the refinancing process; and because Kiavi does not bother to fix an obviously broken client portal website, it’s clear that the company does not strongly value customer experience and satisfaction.

I’m excited to take my first steps into real estate investing and have decided to focus on Pittsburgh for my first property.I’d love to hear your thoughts on:*Neighborhoods or areas in Pittsburgh that are good for investment and typical price ranges I should expect.

I am pretty much expecting red tape but hoping to be surprised.