Pre-paids are your escrow property tax, insurance, and daily interest.

One contractor said moisture is coming through a hole in the exterior stucco, but another said no way because the vapor barrier would block it. 1st one recommended installing insulation, but I've also read this can increase condensation problems.

It's also worth doing the comparison with long-term, regular rentals whereby you have more of the days rented than with STR, but a lower daily rate along with perhaps lower expenses.

This cost you nothing but a day working on the website.I also write blog posts on my site specific to issues motivated sellers might be asking - you can't do that with Realeflow - so get a business page on Facebook and make these posts here - this cost is also free - just takes a few hours a week to write the articles and post them to your Facebook Page - make sure your Facebook Page is optimized with all the key words and links to your website for motivated sellers.Next - I advertise daily on craigslist - I have a template of about 30 basic craiglist ads that I post on about 6 different place on craigslist through about 8 different accounts - I rotate the ads on the different accounts.  

I was managing a 93 unit complex in Sarasota for about a year until it was sold and I transferred down to Ft Myers with the company and commute daily.

I travel all around Broward daily.

It's good to learn about the cost of materials anyway because it also makes you more aware of what goes into a project and you might as well start learning now.Number 1 thing is either check on the progress of work being done regularly, daily if possible, or have someone you trust do it.

I also think that the experience of managing the property on your own at first gives you a better appreciation for what a property manager can do for you... in my case at least, it dramatically freed up my time allowing me to focus on more important things than the daily tenant issues. 

For the last 5 months I have been analyzing deals weekly if not daily and I finally found a second place worthy of making an offer on (we were out-bid on the first property).We plan to place an offer today and combine house hacking with the BRRR method.

Oh, and for what it's worth, I check the MLS daily.