They were perfectly acceptable 20 years ago, but now many areas are limited to one guest per calendar month. 

If he needed something beyond the standard business forms and Schedule E, I could give him limited access to my Baselane portal, just like my bookkeeper had limited access.

In CA currently only MF properties are rent controlled.

You also have to factor in time limitations.

You need a firm estimate for the remainder of the work as your funds are limited (like most people who don't have an endless amount of money). 

Some thoughts on your situation overall:In terms of vetting, I personally there is a limit to how much you can mitigate risks when working with a smaller contractor.

You lose all of the control and these are long term investments - but in my experience the returns match what I had on the active real estate and I am hiring professionals to manage the assets.  

Cozy has been acquired by apartments.com, and will not let me sign up for cozy, and the functions seem limited.

You can say the best out of the limited number of lenders they have signed up under their company but not in general to the vast majority or finance options under all banks and lenders.

(ATTOM)While specific monthly foreclosure data for Maricopa County in 2024 is limited, earlier in the year, in April 2024, the county recorded 281 foreclosure starts.