I have called a few places and the cost is about 8K from start to finish.

'Cashout refi' will confuse your lender and cost you more.

Is it generational wealth, or potential cashflow, or diversifying your retirement? 

The new GC will likely want to inspect the previous GC's work to ensure it meets quality standards and to identify any potential issues.

The only significant expense is the potential new A/C system. 

Instead, I should:Record the net rent (gross rent minus PM fees and expenses) as income in QBO.Log any additional expenses I directly pay, such as mortgage payments, insurance, property taxes, and other business-related costs like gas for business travel, meals, business licenses, and office supplies.Does this approach align with the correct practice of differentiating property accounting from corporate accounting?

Understand the fees involved and calculate the total cost for an entire year of management so you can compare the different managers.

The real estate market has seen its fair share of ups and downs, but the recent drop in mortgage rates offers a glimmer of hope for potential homebuyers and investors alike.

Sure, but I agree that until you really know your problems with scale you can't justify the cost of a custom or premium software solution.

I love this market for its cash flow potential.