So I recommend you read David Greene's book on Long distance real estate investing to get the step by step guide on how to get your next property.

Well, it depends a lot on how much your tenants care about their Credit Score.Sadly most Collection Agencies I've worked with tried to "make a quick buck" meaning use scare tactics to make the tenant pay before formal litigation.

We went "wide" first, saving in stocks, cashed out every so often and bought 10 starter homes and then used the debt snowball to pay them off quickly. 

They scaled very quickly and short term property management is HARD.

Yes, you need to know a bit about running numbers for your specific financial situation but I have worked with many new investors and guiding them to successful rental properties.  

It just depends on your priorities and timeline.You make enough money to knock out those 401k loans quickly.

Do you charge for small cleaning items, like windows weren't cleaned, oven needed a quick cleaning and kitchen cabinets needed wiped out?  

Here it goes:1) Investor fills out our app.2) Investor quickly submits POF.3) Investor answers pre-qualification questions.4) Call scheduled with me and we talk for a good 60min and have a fantastic call (Investor is made aware of our entire business model and how we operate.

Start with BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginners Guide (free).

I have been to small claims a few times and it was quick and to the point no lawyers of course.