Leasing is a specialized skill—PMs deal with this daily, making them far better equipped to handle applications, verify income, conduct background checks, and evaluate a tenant’s overall suitability.Protecting Your Investment:The cost of a bad tenant can be far greater than the cost of hiring a professional.

@Celine Besson there will be several challenges:1) Finding a Grate Property Management Company. - See our copy & paste advice at the bottom of this response.2) Managing the Renovation- Everyone thinks a PMC can easily do this. 

But it is a challenge, particularly when transparency is hard to come by at best of times anyway.

An agent told me that 9/10 transactions they handle are cash and not financed - so i think in this particular submarket going in with financing really weakens you.  

Handle this promptly to protect the owner’s interests.

Sometimes, just offering to handle some basic admin work or help with marketing can get your foot in the door.If you’re not sure where to begin, you could take a quick online course to brush up on the tools or skills you think might be useful.

Just ensure any updates comply with Pennsylvania laws and are handled transparently.

Sellers may struggle to mentally shift from "owner" to "tenant," which can create challenges with boundaries and property care.Security Deposit:If you’re doing a temporary leaseback, be sure to collect a substantial security deposit to cover potential damages and ensure they vacate on time.

- Why would you expect a well-run, profitable PMC to work for free handling maintenance? 

For your GA LLC, filing correctly is crucial since you're based in CA and may need to handle multi-state tax filings.A real estate tax accountant can guide you on deducting renovation costs (likely capitalized rather than expensed for a flip), managing depreciation for investment properties, and tracking expenses related to your flip.