The older I get the more deeply I feel connected to this idea of only being involved in Win-Win situations. 

And having a property manager does not mean that you’re not directly involved with a lot of issues with your properties.Given your situation I might rather suggest a REIT investment where you get exposure to the category, but not have to deal with such a large portfolio, or just get your feet wet and see if you like being a landlord by buying a couple of properties  Randy  

So getting one involved now and sooner rather than later is a great move on your part.

Why would they stop if nobody sues or gets the police involved?

@Abigail KingStarting a first house hack in Peoria, IL involves researching, education, financing options, and management tips.

Lost rent from vacancy could easily be several thousand...so, by time you add it all up, it's easily possible for a sewer line replacement to end up costing $40k+ if it involves those types of ancillary expenses.To me, spending a few hundred bucks on a scope to prevent a $40k+ capex on a property worth over half a million is one of the easiest choices I make in the world of REI!

That would be nice, but I suspect that I will somehow be involved in it...?

They did not communicate the scope well to the plumber, who it sounds like should not have been involved in the first place I would have a point-blank conversation about the above with your manager and ask who he or she thinks should cover the waste of paying multiple professionals to shuffle a thin plastic piece underneath an appliance the tenant was responsible for installing in the first place.

Yes, getting sued is a risk factor and I've been involved with frivolous lawsuits which are not fun, but in my opinion you'd be in a much better spot owning a property in your personal name that let's you keep an extra 10-20% of the purchase price in your pocket as emergency funds, as opposed to buying the loan under an LLC that requires every last penny you might have to make the higher down payment, then you have to operate on a shoestring.

Understand the fees involved and calculate the total cost for an entire year of management so you can compare the different managers.