Understand the fees involved and calculate the total cost for an entire year of management so you can compare the different managers.

All of these things are minor compared to the financial benefit.  

How is Homeaway compared to VRBO?

Yes I feel more tech are moving to Austin and compare with Bay Area price, Austin housing price seems really good lol.

@Kris Langlois I'm also a military guy and had a comparable experience with a PM that I ultimately fired in SATX last summer.

Also have seen a couple realtors, recently, list houses slightly below market value to make the quick commission, which has a negative impact on the comparables for the short term, which is why I am looking into the lease option approach. 

Of course it would be nice to avoid that traffic altogether, but a comparable property in Brooklyn would be double or even triple in cost so it’s something to think about. 

I see that you live here as well, and I'm happy to have a coffee and compare notes...maybe you know different people.  

For example I have two houses right now that are high equity where a second would be safe compared to the equity position.

The damage deposits were large compared to what an apartment would charge post-college.