The goal is to get a high quality renter with good habits and excellent payment history (like everyone.)Also important to fill the apartment before the end of the year.

@Majour Bey, I'd say the first thing you should do is learn the habitability laws of your state.

We don’t know any PMCs to recommend in the area mentioned, but since selecting the wrong PMC is usually more harmful than selecting a bad tenant, you might want to read our series about “How to Screen a PMC Better than a Tenant”:https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91877-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-1-services-and-processesWe recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.

I bet real money the discipline, habits, mindset you’ve obtained from being a marine helped to achieve these goals.I listen to the Real Estate Rookie podcast so I’ll check out that episode.

The absolute minimum requirement of all landlords is to provide a safe and habitable place.

Humans are creatures of habit - adults rarely change. 

Outside of inflation & rates, of the things that could still "harm" you, you have: Taxes, insurance, political climate, maturing debt, asset class diversification, geographical diversification. 

We don’t know any PMCs to recommend in the area mentioned, but since selecting the wrong PMC is usually more harmful than selecting a bad tenant, you might want to read our series about “How to Screen a PMC Better than a Tenant”:https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91877-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-1-services-and-processesWe recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.

We don’t know any PMCs to recommend in the area mentioned, but since selecting the wrong PMC is usually more harmful than selecting a bad tenant, you might want to read our series about “How to Screen a PMC Better than a Tenant”:https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91877-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-1-services-and-processesWe recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.

They check for habitability and common things that show up are windows not opening or locking, and ventilation in the bathroom (must have a window or vent fan).