Mine can set door codes, message (or call) guests, schedule cleaners, adjust the thermostat, monitor my cameras, & call a plumber just as easily as a local PM can, for 1% of the costI wrote much more about leveraging offshore assistants in this post here.

Rules for such things as: how often to change HVAC filters, redo paint jobs, have a gardener come, check smoke detectors etc.Should I have the tenant or landlord pay?  

You can get a bad tenant out of state just as easily as in your own back yard.

I'm not in the NJ area, but you could try going to BiggerPockets.com > Network (in the top ribbon) > Real Estate Agents and then filter by your zip code. 

However this whole thing is really showing what is and isn’t important and how easily everything you work for can be zeroed out with a word or stroke of a pen.

I found a lot for sale for 35k in an area where the ARV (or in this case the relocation) value is easily 230k.. probably 240k+.  

If it's network with locals, you can click this link https://www.biggerpockets.com/... and it will take you to a page where you can filter down who you are looking to network with.

I don't know all of the specifics of what they owe but it looks to  me that they could easily walk away with $250,000-$275,000 cash in pocket after fees.  

I could have easily rented this house again but I think I maximized the ROI.

I could have easily rented this house again but I think I maximized the ROI.