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

What you are trying to compare is apples to oranges.

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

For example we don't have any "application fees", etc.Know exactly how much you need to close and how much you will spend for the money by the time you expect to exit....compare apples to apples.

I'm afraid if I sell these now I'm going to have a difficult time finding a comparable deal.

@Agyei Axum i have been renting by the room for the last 7 years. that is actually all that i do. i would strongly suggest doing that in your case to boost cash flow in your expensive market. i would find comparables in order to price effectively.

There is a home built right next to it on a comparably sloped lot.

They dont do an appraisal but the do an in-the-house determination of the value of the house based on comparables, at no cost to me.Now, my current lender would only lend me the purchase price, then I have to refi in 6 months to recoup my rehab costs.Is this too good to be true to find a new lender give you purchase price and rehab expenses lended for 30 years at 5.5%? 

Make sure you compare services on what that 10-20% manager gives you and what a higher rate manager gives you.

The cost of rehab is just so high compared to the value of the houses.As @Thaddeus D. said it is a not a buyers market right now.