I know Austin is continuing to grow, so I figured there would be more people looking for apartments, than houses.

Developing a team across state lines, cheaper contractors are not always best, they cost us time and money because they weren't the right people.

People spend more time deciding on a backsplash then they do screening tenants 

@Jon Martin people do get tripped up by this.

People have already said what your options are.

I've done this with my properties because I'm well known in my small town and don't want people to know what I own.LEGAL PROTECTION: By placing your assets in an LLC, you are legally separating them from your personal assets.

This results in increased crime and people leaving the city.

If a crappy area, I would not try to STR it, since you will likely be getting people who want a CHEAP place to stay.  

These forums are a great place to learn and meet people, whether you're just starting out or you're a seasoned investor.

Some may argue it’s not necessary at the start, but it becomes costlier to transfer a property held in your name to an LLC at a later time and this is good forward thinking business planning.Don’t worry about forming an LLC until you execute an agreement to purchase real estate.