It's an awesome way to jump into RE yes its scary at first but as long as you have a criteria going in it eases some of the emotions during the process my biggest thing was lower my cost or keeping it the same.

But by the the biggest issue is PRICE.

Here’s the biggest risk.  

Even a great deal can turn sour if the area isn’t aligned with your goals.What’s been your biggest hesitation about getting started?

Often times, their approval processes are slow.Credit Unions - Their member structure also subsidizes their financial structure so they can also be a source of low-cost financing.

While I am always looking for off-market, as an agent with access to MLS, that's my primary source of looking for deals right now. 

The biggest difference to me is that YOU have control of every aspect of an active investment, while somebody else is in “control” of a passive investment.  

While your lease may indicate that the tenant pays, the biggest problem with this is that tenants will stop reporting issues for fear of paying.

Typically, since I'm well connected because of flipping, HVAC, roofers, lawn care, carpenters, kitchen & bath & plumbers and electrical all are good sources.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend 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.