Use tools such as www.rentometer.com to get an idea of what comparable rentals in your area are going for.Pricing your property slightly below market will help your rental stand out amongst the competition and allow you to pick from a more reliable pool of tenants. 

For most of the multifamily that we manage that doesn't have separate water meters, we're charging back a set fee for water and that's pretty reliable.

Did you ever figure out a solution?

You could offer a local investor MLS showings any time they want and be on-call for that, that would be a value-add for them if they don't have a reliable agent.

While doing these things, I also plan on working a full-time job since I won't be making much of a reliable income while getting started in this field. 

I definitely would not want to own any commercial retail/office today, as I don't have a great solution for them yet, but I can bet the person who figures out how to best repurpose them into a valuable asset again will make a fortune. 

We aren't planning on moving and could claim adverse possession (PA just changed to 10 years), but from everything I read this sounds like not a viable solution. 

For day-to-day property management cozy.co offers a great solution for landlords that are looking to self-manage.In regards to location of a potential investment, if you are going to self-manage it is probably best to find something within 30 minutes or so of where you live.

For example, though I am "Manager" legally, I am Broker, Agent, PM, Asset Manager, Chief Solutions Architect, Jerkwad, or a number of things depending on the context and mode of the moment.So, what do you feel like being? 

Can anyone recommend any reliable and efficient contractors in the Atlanta, Ga area?