I do think that having a contractor give you quotes is MUCH better, but often not completely practical or ideal either.

Without reserves, they might be unable to evict tenants or prepare the units once they are vacant.Great points—walking the property and speaking with tenants during due diligence is a practice we now prioritize, along with running tenant histories through eviction databases.

Wood has a huge variability in strength--between pine varieties, the stress which can cause them to fail varies by more than 2x and you can see 20%+ increase in strength as it ages.Then I have stress concentrations which will yield and then redistribute the load in practice, but not according to the calculations I'm allowed to do. 

I self-manage, but I understand that's not a practical option for most people.

For what it's worth, I'm no longer insurance licensed since I took my practice fee only.

They were realistic about the outcomes, so we went the practical route.

Also, check to see if your jurisdiction is practicing "Just Cause Eviction", which went into effect statewide earlier this year for municipalities that which to opt in. 

There is a way of waiving the account at the state level by certifying certain practices but it's more trouble than it's worth and easier to just keep an account open. 

This approach conveys your respect and appreciation while making it clear that your decision isn’t personal—it’s practical.

Quote from @Matthew Posteraro: I am in the phase of practicing deal analysis on possible investment properties in the area I am looking to invest in.