EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

You would want to visit the area you plan to invest in several times and make sure you have found a great team.

During this same time period my wife and I both quit our jobs and started a dog-walking company.

I wouldn't be investing in any new city without spending a lot of time on that site first.

Ive run out of time on the trial period of 3 months with PM.

Monthly income must equal 3 times the rent.   

I had trouble paying rent during covid crazy (slow income non RE related) and wonder if this could have helped at that time.

If by real estate business you’re implying you have little or no money to invest but are contemplating using one of the guru inspired methods (subject to, “wholesaling” , fix n flip) to create cash flow, I’d encourage you to do research on the true success/failure rate of people who engage in these endeavors, the amount of money the successful operators spend monthly on marketing, and the real time commitment and knowledge and experience necessary for success.  

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

From a cleaning perspective, I can understand why any landlord would want to use a contracted cleaning process, no matter how clean the unit was at the time of move-out.