Quote from @Pouya Banki: You've learned the truth about home warranties.

Running your own rental for 1-3units is always the best way to learn and understand more about the industry.

@Forest WuRecommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

Keep learning and growing...

Any resources to learn about the above in detail?

Unfortunately we did not specify anything regarding a non-refundable deposit in the lease or separately but this is a great learning lesson that will be covered in future leases.

Lastly, when i try and call them to speak to my property manager 99% of the time I wind up having to submit a note in their portal and wait for a call back.As to to the new garage door that will be installed by the tenant, I wish they would be more involved, giving the tenant some options of companies to call, and to walk them through the repair process.Am i wrong in any of these thoughts or concerns about my current PM---or---do i need to let the property manager do their thing and learn to take a step back?

Diversifying can be a risk if you don't know all the nuances, the learning curve isnt' as steep as STR, but if you are looking OOS, that presents new challenges.If STR is the path, are there places you like to vacation, that is always a good place to start.

To get the best results and to start to make real connections, go to local real estate meetups, start learning, and then post a question where others can hop in and help you move from A to B.

Lessons learned?