You should be going to real estate investor meetups to meet other, more experienced investors, instead of looking at markets farther away before you really know what you are doing.

Section 8 guarantees part of the rent, which is great for income stability, but the building will have regular inspections to meet Housing Quality Standards (HQS).

To avoid going through the same poor experience, keep reading.Even if someone gives you a referral here, do NOT make the mistake of assuming that the PMC will meet your expectations, just because they met the expectations of the referral source.In our experience, the #1 mistake owners make when selecting a Property Management Company (PMC) is ASSUMING instead of CONFIRMING.It's often a case of not doing enough research, as they don't know what they don't know!

To avoid going through the same poor experience, keep reading.Even if someone gives you a referral here, do NOT make the mistake of assuming that the PMC will meet your expectations, just because they met the expectations of the referral source.In our experience, the #1 mistake owners make when selecting a Property Management Company (PMC) is ASSUMING instead of CONFIRMING.It's often a case of not doing enough research, as they don't know what they don't know!

Would even be happy to meet in person since we are in the same area.

It sounds like they have been paying, maybe talking to them about your concerns can help them better meet your expectations.

This would not meet the 3X monthly rent rule at $1,000 a month.

You can always start with the Simple Start subscription and upgrade if you find that it isn’t meeting your needs.  

He had a tech job and we talked the business and he was legit and when meeting the family, they were very respectful. 

I would start speaking with residential / commercial agents and property management companies close by and get a feeling if something closer by will meet your criteria.