Title companies perform detailed title searches, revealing all recorded liens and their positions, ensuring you have a clear understanding of any potential encumbrances.

Ensure that you check your state's regulations and requirements regarding security deposits.

Keep detailed records of payment dates and amounts and consult a tax professional to ensure this strategy aligns with your overall tax planning. 

It ensures the community is full of active LP investors, not just anyone. 

We have fair landlord-tenant laws, similar to Texas, but still the specific process is different.

The best way to solve this situation now would be by ensuring you've presented the units in the most attractive way possible.

The 3 issues you described are all fairly large red flags, especially for someone's first property.

There are plenty out there with fair rates and lower fees.

Supplement this far simpler entity approach by ensuring you have appropriate types and levels of insurance, you operate your business in a manner in which your conduct is not considered an exclusion in your policy, you work with licensed and insured vendors, you execute contracts with indemnification clauses with these same vendors/ require additional insured status &  maintain appropriate licensing and permits.

I check in on the job to ensure that things are being done the way I want them done.If there are issues, the contractor lets me know and we discuss how we're going to handle it.