I'm looking for alternatives, I liked LandlordStudio actually but I hate the name, seems so impersonal to the tenants and not in their favor.  

Purchase price: $58,500 Cash invested: $55,000 Sale price: $155,000 Contributors: Peter Vekselman Partner Driven and Carol Tarnowski teamed up for a transformative project on 14th St, Fond du Lac, WI.

I highly suggest you use our marketplaces to find trusted, investor-friendly team members: Tax Pro finder: https://www.biggerpockets.com/business/finder/tax-and-financ...Lender finder: https://www.biggerpockets.com/business/finder/lendersProperty manager finder (if you go that route and don't self manage): https://www.biggerpockets.com/business/finder/property-manag...

Courtesy of Dodd Frank, its doubtful the self employed will ever be viewed by lenders as favorable as a w2 employee.

these investors were all chasing easy OOS cash flow:https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/963/topics/1195280-expe...https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/48/topics/1160450-run-i...https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/48/topics/1137397-balti...https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/52/topics/1010977-12-00...if you're serious on investing in an OOS market i'd pick one, get to know it, go to it in person, and build a team, and then determine what would you need to do to get a good return in that market. 

Perhaps partnering with a real estate agent using the BP real estate agent finder tool may work out in your favor.

Focus on tenant screening, building a local team, and learning as much as you can, starting early sets you up for long-term success!

There are really great REI opportunities in different markets - markets in the Midwest and Southeast of the country are particularly lucrative - where not only are the purchase prices reasonable for most RE investors, but the homes are turnkey (new builds or completely rehabbed homes, tenant ready, systems 10 years of life remaining on them, property management teams in place) with appreciating home value AND appreciating rent.

I'd really like to get a great team in place for long term relations and reliability prior to.

Private equity firms seem to favor larger operations with scalable systems, while smaller mom-and-pop firms are often acquired by local players or regional operators looking to expand their footprint.If you’re looking for actionable intel, reaching out to brokers specializing in the sale of PM firms could provide useful leads.