In order for companies do do a good job it might cost a little more to have a quality company with quality employees. 

But the houses cost a bit more.  

This allows you to look at P&L reports strictly based on classes (each property).QB desktop I believe can last about 3 years being supported and cost a flat fee of $300 (probably gone up). 

Appear on 26 podcast to talk about the investor retreats that I am doing in Costa Rica.3.

Track all expenses at this cost as they can be dded to your basis/cost of the rental you do acquire.

Lol 50 pound bag of beans cost a lot less than steak and lobster and probably better for you to boot. 

I usually look carefully at the most expensive things:1) Foundation/Slab - small cracking and movement are no big deal, but a large crack, settling, displacement can cost a fortune to fix.2) Plumbing - esp cast iron sewer and galvanized ( or old copper) supply lines.3) Electrical - Knob/Tube, old original romex, no grounds, small main panel.4) Structure - Check the attic (and crawlspace if there is one).

Chminey flue liner will cost as you said 2.5k each. so I feel this would be fair.

Short term rentals can be a lot more profitable but cost a good amount upfront. 

We find that if the owner's tell us not to do those things, they end up with more service calls which cost as much or more than the proactive approach and they also tend to turnover tenants more frequently.