He says to minimally get an Attorney to work for me instead of relying on my agent and our title company, since they're all get compensated on the deal getting done, not necessarily fighting for my protections. 

Company owner has Not seen my home yet should I ask for the earnest money Before he comes to see the house?

You can always ask a loan officer to submit the property to underwriting to see if it will qualify with the company's guidelines - this is something I always do if i'm not 100% sure about the area. 

LTR rates by checking out HUD/Section 8, local news, I'll google local companies hiring etc.

We learned that persistence pays off, as navigating a short sale can be a lengthy process requiring strategic planning and continuous effort.

All that said...if you're not confident you can get at least 1.5x your LT rents as an MTR, I think I might go with long term but skip the management company and DIY. 

Going to continue to invest there indefinitely.

I would prefer to go with a established company (rather than an individual hustling on the side) with streamlined processes, transparent online accounting, and a long and strong track record. 

It may sound nice to pay a 6% management fee but the extra fees can add up to be more than the other company that charges 10% with no additional fees.

I currently rent a storage unit for $80 a month to store supplies for my property management company.