I am new to the the real estate investment world and looking to expand my knowledge in flipping houses and maintaining rental properties.

If your goal is to own the property but have essentially no day-to-day involvement in the business of the vacation rental -- you don't talk to potential guests, you don't maintain the calendar, you don't coordinate housekeeping -- hire a real legal licensed vacation rental manager.  

I continue to research, study and educate myself in being successful as an investor.

In addition you are maintaining y software issues and hardware issues.Free Laundry - You have to maintain the machine whilst not making money.In my opinion, since you only have 4 units onsite, it would not make sense to have a card operated laundry system.

If you do a lease purchase, you might make $200 per month for 8 years and $700 for 2 years if the buyer pays it all.My experience is these types of lease purchasers don't maintain the property and if anything changes, they bail.  

I am in the beginning phases of building my business up but have been studying REI and everything here on BP for years! 

You need at least one layer of protection between you(r personal possessions and assets) and your business entity structure (translation: more than one entity)If your businesses are properly established and maintained they WILL afford you considerable (though not "perfect") protection against even the most frivolous of lawsuits.

You can manage or avoid this problem in future by structuring your deals on the acquisition side by studying title.Clouded title can run the spectrum between defective ownership by prior owners & heirs to erroneously recorded encumbrances.

Cashflow is the number you come up with after paying the mortgage (PITI) and also accounting for expenses like vacancy, capex, maintainence, utilities and management.

I have been studying REI off and on for years and am now determined to take the plunge.