My company would screen them like a normal applicant and then add them as an occupant to the lease.

This allows one to build business credit for their investment company too, allowing one to borrow even more in the future.

But they forced you to use their management company, took 50%, and you couldn’t use the unit more than 2 or 4 weeks per year.

Does anyone here have any solid property management companies you work with or recommendations on how to vet them when interviewing them? 

In fact, an agent can get you into on market properties and when you write an offer, the rest can easily be handled by a title company / real estate attorney (depending on your area) all the way to closing. 

If you're unsure about the legalities or the best approach, consulting with a property management company familiar with local laws or a real estate attorney could be invaluable.Best of luck with your new property and navigating this transition smoothly!

A company by the name of “Saluda Grade” contacted me explaining they took over their debts however, they are not buying back the property as we originally agreed with STOA. 

I’m the owner of a newer General Contracting company serving the area, we started operating in September last year.

I would suggest to connect to other local investors as much as possible to network, educate yourself, make connections with title companies, contractors, wholesalers, hard money lenders etc, those will prove vital to your success.

To me that is buying stock in a company that primarily owns real estate.