We are in a constricted market cycle, low volume, strained budgets, high costs.

If the seller is insisting on a high price with not-so-hot financing terms, though, this may be a riskier project than it's worth.

If you’re below $275K, focus on high-impact upgrades like improving curb appeal (landscaping, fresh paint), refreshing the kitchen and bathrooms (new hardware, lighting), or adding energy-efficient features (smart thermostats, LED lighting).

I would highly recommend getting your license for property management, and/or realtor.  

The other factor that's relevant for me is that my husband is a high end W-2 wage earner and we could greatly benefit from the potential tax benefits of actively managing the property. 

that we’ve learned in our 24 years, managing almost 700 doors across the Metro Detroit area, including almost 100 S8 leases:Class A Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, 3-5 years for positive cashflow, but you get highest relative rent & value appreciation.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, 5% the more recent norm.Tenant Pool: Majority will have FICO scores of 680+ (roughly 5% probability of default), zero evictions in last 7 years.Class B Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, decent amount of relative rent & value appreciation.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, 5% should be applied only if proper research done to support.Tenant Pool: Majority will have FICO scores of 620-680 (around 10% probability of default), some blemishes, but should have no evictions in last 5 yearsClass C Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, high cashflow and at the lower end of relative rent & value appreciation.

We position ourselves in the middle, offering a high-touch, small-business experience with Superhost status.

Even when they are charging you a very high percentage, the agent is probably operating at a loss.

Budget carefully, prioritize high-ROI renovations, and adhere to strict timelines to maximize profitability.

Understanding your top priorities can help in determining whether Stessa, Baselane, or another tool might best fit your needs.If you're comfortable with apartments.co for rent collection but want higher yields on your cash (this is me reading between the lines) you could have the transfers go into a high yield business account like BlueVine 1.5% interest or something like CapitalOne 3.9%.