I use to sell those Kirby vacuum cleaners and I worked for Brandon Ford in Tampa Florida as a car salesman (I know, they have bad reputations).

As a new STR owner my biggest surprise has been the amount of gross income (approx. 15-20%) that goes to my cleaners ($130/clean) though they are worth every nickel and the expense is directly paid for by the guests.

They don't respond to guest complaints, arrange cleaners, or any of the actual management. 

I have the fear that I'll get taken to the cleaners by a bad deal/partnership/PM, etc. given I don't have any type of network at the moment.

I'm not concerned about what the media thinks and I don't ask my dry cleaner for real estate advise. 

Do most investors present a detailed checklist for their cleaners?

I like knowing that the guests or the cleaner have arrived.....

Finding and keeping low-end trades - handymen, cleaners, cleanup laborers, etc.

Closing in a LLC with a DSCR loan is so much cleaner and easier.

A lot cleaner and easier than forming a joint LLC, at least for this test deal.