Tell them if you perform the punch list now that they will get their security deposits back sooner. 

 I’ve had tenants for years around this area some pay on the first or the month on the second and some  pay on the third I do have a late charge per day after the first but I’ve learned on my multi families just go there on the fourth and get the rent and that way I only make one trip otherwise I’m coming back chasing everyone down people unfortunately people are creatures of habit as long as they pay every month I’m fine with that and unpaid late charges  just come out of security per their lease  But I do agree  a new tenant you need to lay down the expectations and what things are and if  is no late charge in your lease you need to amend the lease 

My focus is seller financed performing notes so I can learn the business first with lower risk investments.

There are too many variables to give a one-size fits all answer.Personally, I would put $1M into commercial syndications (money backed by a hard asset that historically performs well in market turmoil) and diversify the remaining $1M across notes, NNNs, SFHs and some S&P 500 index funds.

I'm also extremely skeptical if they aren't interested in me and my performance/experience or the deal, but focused primarily on receiving their upfront fee.

It will allow you to see what types of properties work for you and what neighborhoods within your market are better performing than others.

It’s especially great to hear what people are doing or seeing in the Charlotte market in particular, as I’m relatively new to the area and have only utilized MLS and other third parties thus far.

If they sell you a property and then sign you off to a third-party PM, that's another team you need to vet, and means the TK company has less skin in the game (ie once you close, their work is done).They should have solid, data-backed answers to your questions at-the-ready.

If this isn't something they offer it's a great add on service that is relatively straightforward, although time consuming, to learn and perform.

How can we accurately perform a market analysis to ensure we are investing in the correct locations?