File a lis pendens concurrent with a suit for specific performance (Forcing the seller to close on the deal).

Then you will have approximately 1 to 2 weeks to visit the property, perform due diligence, and then lock it up with a binding purchase agreement.

Make sure you vet your contractor, trust them, give them daily tasks and make sure they meet your expectations.

Even just gopher/task rabbit type services might help them....putting out signs, putting on lockboxes, changing out locks.I think every apartment complex today is looking for maintenance people. 

., RE/Max or Keller Williams, is going to have pressure from their own management to "perform" and weed out agents who don't sell/produce enough, which means they won't even consider you if you're saying you have no intention of doing any transactions under their umbrella.I know people who have done what you describe, but they either already had a close friend who was a broker who was willing to take them on, or in one case they bit the bullet and just became a broker themselves (which is fine but is additional time and expense).

No one else will care for your property like you will since you are the most invested financially in its performance!

Below are two charts showing how rents and prices increased over the last 12 months for properties that conform to our target tenant pool property profile.Rentals - Median $/SF by MonthYoY increase of 18%.Sales - Median $/SF by MonthYoY increase of 27%.Long term performance of our tenant pool:5 evictions in 15 years$500 average renovation turn costAverage tenant stay 5 years2008 crash - Our clients had zero (no) decline in rent and no vacancies.

- Are there strategies to make your current property perform better, to avoid the costs of exchanging?

Obviously, completely turn-key properties are the simplest form of passive income if performed correctly.

It has the typically detractors of T&G, but is bulletproof quality-wise and I'll be interested to see how it performs 5, 10, and 20 years from now.