Reminds me of the old saying: "One man's trash is another man's treasure".

If finishing, definitely set your calendar reminder for the -61 renewal notice so you don't forget!

2) My agent is a really nice guy and has given me some great insight, but he drops the ball sometimes on tasks I give him, requiring me to follow up and remind him semi-often.

Send him a certified letter that reminds him of his requirement to be out by 11:59PM on March 30th, that it is non-negotiable, and if he stays beyond that date he will be charged double the rent and you will begin eviction proceedings immediately.

One of the first steps is finding a solid partner, not a business partner but a realtor who is supportive in making both your dreams come true.Biggest takeaway from both podcasts reminds me of Zig Ziglar: “You Can Have Everything In Life You Want, If You Will Just Help Enough Other People Get What They Want” . 

Your last sentence, "It is much better to lose the property to a competitive bid than to lose it to the bank later" is an important one to be reminded of frequently as an excited newbie to investing. 

With the right software, you can also set reminders for yourself and tenants, which would remove the need for you to email yourself. 

You also know how what is involved in doing the work, so you can better evaluate what is worth having somebody else do.I don't say this to take anything away from your venting, but just to remind you of the great lesson you learned.

@Afam Agbodike - thank you for reminder to review the lease.

If you are the type to want to naturally avoid, you should hire a property manager or you should not buy real estate.I also asked the audience how many people allow rents to go month to month and never set reminders to look into raising the rent.