It's only a 2hr20min drive from Durham.EDIT: Oh, and I see the area I chose aligns with half the area Dan Bryant mentioned to avoid. 

You want his goals to align with your goals so together you can produce a quality product that makes a profit.

There are some good PMs out there, but generally, I've had to keep a very close eye on management because your interest and theirs usually aren't aligned.

I would find someone whose goals align with yours extremely well.

Find one that aligns w/ your business strategy.  

Alignment and spelling is the least of your worries, you need to worry about workmanship and/or stability of your contractor.

I have not used a property manager before and am concerned that their incentives are not really aligned with ours, for example they get paid even if there is vacancy, or they charge a fee for filling a unit but not for renewing a lease.

Now go out and attend local REIa's and network with other people and find the people who have goals that align with yours. 

I also want to ensure I am aligning myself for success as I look to expand my investments. 

I can rent a house on the first on the month, immediately after accepting the applicant if the stars align, and most importantly will have the deposit and the first month's rent in hand as I hand over keys.Section 8 is rife with bureaucracy...accepting the tenant is the beginning of about a minimum 30 day process.