One easy way to build a network is calling the numbers of all of the We Buy Houses bandit signs that you see and asking them to put you on their buyer's list.

Putting $500k in the amenities on a 500 unit complex is only $1000/unit, which is easy to justify, but $500k on a 50 unit is going to be hard to justify. 

@Dan O'Neill I think when you look at the % it is a big number and it is easy to call it "too high", however, I agree with @Steve Vaughan, you need to know exactly what you're getting and how good they are at doing their job. 

It's not  easy to find good deals in today's market, with so much capital chasing too few opportunities.

My experience has been the opposite as the Dallas market is heating up, It's harder to find good deals, and easy to keep rented. 

Those lenders are not as easy to find.

Good agents do make it look easy. 

Our STR we use a PM and it is work (we tried doing it ourselves many years ago and we are fairly experienced PMs but this was too much work for our lives - we self manage around 20 LTR units if we thought it was not easy imagine less experienced PM).As @Aaron Friberg indicated before considering STR on Condo make sure that it is allowed in the complex.In summary, the rents are good but STRs in San Diego could have legislation curtailing them and STRs at the beach are not passive.Good luck

I find it easy.

You also need to make sure you know your numbers its easy to think a deal makes sense but forget a cost or two.