Unfortunately, no longer can owners do the bare minimum and expect good returns.

@Matthew Tregoning I find zillow applications to be pretty bare bones.   

Our interests are perfectly aligned and I'll try to get you the lowest possible price for the seller.It's a different story if I'm being paid barely nothing by you and a fat commission by the seller a fat commission to sell his inventory, which many of my buyers might be unaware of because I never mention it to them and it is only in the small print because of my emails because it legally has to.

Leverage is one of the great tools of REI investing, over leverage is not.Never be forced to sell and you will achieve great financial results.Folks who could barely get by in 2007 made a fortune by 2015 with the same properties!

#1 What's missing is Profitability.....Pretty weird....I think both are either losing money or just barely hanging on to minimal profits. 

They're barely, if at all, doing investor loans these days.

So you will end up with a rookie that will do it for cheap and cause you to lose your EMD or a discount shop that will barely answer your phone call. 

As long as you’re careful and track them and pay them off : )  Would it be smart just to get a card that I barely spend on just to improve my credit? 

Am a NY licensed contractor who moved out here to LA county barely a year ago.. my CA contractor license is still pending.

If a PM is doing the bare minimum to stay in business, they are likely doing the bare minimum to manage your property.