They were abandoned and needed significant work which wasn't a huge issue but in terms of HUD owned properties i heard there can be significant processing periods.

If you have an issue with that, or are long distance, hiring a property manager is a must.

I could probably rent the house as-is but I would hate for it to be an issue if there was ever a fire or something drastic.

She claims that it's because of the deposit, but when I gave her a link to a gas company that doesn't require deposit, she cussed me out and wrote that I wasn't allowed to tell her which gas company to use.

Of course it this becomes an issue for the property management company, they may chose to stop managing the property.- The owners don't share any of the equity growth with the management company.Drawbacks of Turnkey properties- They are usually purchased at market value (or sometimes just a little bit above) so that after paying closing costs the investor who purchased the turnkey investment has a lower net worth than before the purchase.- There is no discount or created equity over and above the amount that is used as the down payment for the home.- The management company charges a management fee of 10% - 15% which can be a little higher than average property management companies, but that cost may be offset by higher quality of services.- The management company also charges for other services such as fee for coordinating maintenance and repairs, and turnover and releasing.

I find that the best deals on the market are usually newly listed (less than a week on the market) and usually the deals that haven't sold have significant issues with them.What are the reasons that you think homes sit on the market for a long time and how do you navigate the issues to make a deal that works for you? 

We currently use Hospitable for 12 properties, and it's working fine, no major issues, and I know they've been expanding with new features.

It is certainly beneficial to have someone local that you can call on for these emergency issues but don't see it necessary to have a full time PM in my opinion.

The issues can be local so look for someone in your area who is posting and try to contact.   

Either way, the property will cash flow like crazy once my unit is rented.I have enough capital to get into a bigger property with low money down and am seriously considering a triplex or fourplex for the next one.Here’s the issue: My lender (local bank) says I need to be fully moved out and have a lease in place before they’ll proceed with my loan.