@Stacey OlsonRecommend 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.

Most gurus have their clients journey end the moment they send them the money, they join a facebook group - have overseas VA;s moderate it and provide some old videos that get repurposed.Those who are new and thinking they are creative typically get crushed as they are gambling not investing.

- You or the PMC can get 3 bids, but who is going to know how to accurately compare them and understand if something is missing - that will require more work+charges once the project has started (a standard tactic by many contractors!)?

This ensures you can provide them with a clear and accurate scope of work.

This will help you get the most accurate estimates. 

You will have to gather more accurate operating costs (vacancy loss, taxes, utilities, insurance, mgmt fees, maintenance, HOA) to best determine potential future performance.

With Plus, you can use Classes to separate properties and accurately track income and expenses by unit.

With your background in lease management and site selection, that could be a natural next step.Regarding STRs, I can understand the hesitation—accurate expense tracking is critical, and not having that data can make evaluating deals frustrating.

If you’re looking for DIY options, PropStream and DealMachine can give you some lien info, but they may not always be 100% accurate or up-to-date.For Central Ohio, check with the county recorder’s office or clerk of courts for lien and judgment records.

The proforma's would have been accurate but, what they didn't allow for, is the turnover cost between renters that left excessive damage.