A fresh coat of paint, some new appliances, etc... are no big deal, but I'm not equipped to tackle any kind of renovation job, at least not for my first purchase.And on to your third point about good management - I'm tempted to say that for a basic duplex or triplex I could manage it myself by doing online background checks of prospective tenants and hiring a local handyman when something needs repair, however for my first purchase I think its best if I go with a good local management company.If anyone has any thoughts to add, I'm all ears!

So, I am constantly working to attract good prospects and I want our units to show as well as possible.

I'm extremely well versed in property title and succession issues, if you are working probate leads, and I use skiptracing software for those harder to reach less competitive type prospects.

Raleigh is a good prospect for rental #2. 

@Russ Swan   You could try a different mouse trap, like a simple call to action that sends your prospect to a very simple web form.Or you could outsource your inbound calls to a call center.

But the reviews on the regular Allure deter me.  

In short do the math on all prospective properties to get a quantitative feel for that market.  

You can plan to visit the potential prospects using mass transit.

To put it in prospective, just two years ago, I bought a 3/2/ no garage with wall heaters and window AC.

I would ask to speak to references also.I came up with these questions to see if they know their numbers and their company.Questions to Ask prospective management companies What are your average days on market for vacant homes?