It is great that you took the time to share your experience.

I appreciate all the feedback and experiences.

"Going to a classroom won't change anything unless the student takes ownership of their learning experience" would be something one of my professors would say and he encouraged us to be lifelong learners emphasizing the idea to continue reading books after college was over for us.

To avoid going through the same poor experience, keep reading.Even if someone gives you a referral here, do NOT make the mistake of assuming that the PMC will meet your expectations, just because they met the expectations of the referral source.In our experience, the #1 mistake owners make when selecting a Property Management Company (PMC) is ASSUMING instead of CONFIRMING.It's often a case of not doing enough research, as they don't know what they don't know!

Lenders will want to verify your income, debt, and credit whereas on a Hard Money loan, lenders will qualify you based on the deal itself and your experience.  

Property is affordable and looks good on paper, but your actual experience may be very different due to costly turnovers, bad renters, vacancies, etc. 

Do you have experience using those sites? 

I've heard flipping might be a good place to start, but would love to hear about people's opinions and experiences in these types of markets.

I’m considering it more and more but I feel I should stick with the area I’m familiar with and play it safe for my first rental.

My kids have freedom to play safely in the snow.