I do it manually (and keep in mind, it also depends on the state and location - VRBO does for some and not for others, Airbnb does for some and not for others) I know many folks happy with Avalara though. 

open to any advice, recommendations or past experiences.  

MInd you, we've gotten really good at our scopes of work and we have one of our GCs go through the property with us to give us our scopes of work.

I has two GREAT property managers that immediately come to mind, one handling 5 high end high rise condos I owned in Phoenix and the other one handling a 12 unit very lower end apartment building I owned in Arlington, Texas.  

I don’t mind paying those fees if I can build a solid, long lasting business quickly.I know I can piece together all these things by attending my local REI meetings and making connections there.

To maximize the sq/ft (and save cashola) and give it a more spacey feel, I’m doing open shelving instead of upper cabinets and the countertops will extend all the way to the near wall, fully covering the front load washer and dryer units, which also have their home in the kitchen.

You can't really predict for a creative business mind and how they might craft a guest experience that stands out in their market. 

With EPIC theme park opening in a few months, this area is seeing bookings pick up, but it is a very competitive and crowded market.

Just keep in mind that contractors may hesitate to attend multiple pre-inspections, especially if they lead to no work.

Quote from @Evan Haas: I'm focusing on 2-4 MF properties, but if the numbers worked for 5+ when I'm open to that too, I just am assuming I don't have the capital yet to go in that direction.