How much do they charge?

What documents do they require, what credit scores do they allow, how do they verify previous rental history, etc.?

First, don't use REI Reply, it's just a white-labelled/private-agency version of GoHighLevel (the actual provider of the CRM) that they just mark up and charge you extra for everything you do (every text, email, etc is 2-10x more expensive than just linking twilio/mailgun to your GHL account, etc).With that out of the way, you can get to making workflows.

Had the chance to do this flip with a close friend that did not have to capital to take it on themselves.

Appreciate it. 

     Just a reminder to everyone doing short term rentals to check with your county to see if you need to be paying a hotel occupancy tax.

If you just handled it on your own/contractor self-mitigation, you would need to have some proof it was handled.

Do you feel this is controllable or that it's mostly up to chance who succeeds and who fails? 

I would be leery in doing it out of state and with it being your first one.

@Francisco PineiroYou could call a few home inspectors in the market you are investing in and see if they do draw inspections so you know the items are correctly done before sending funds