Make sure it explicitly explains the process for termination if you are unhappy with their services, especially if they violate the terms of your agreement.3.

I'm also asking for contractor, CPA, insurance, and legal references from the property managers and will speak with / cross-reference them before going forward with one. 

By "on and off" I was referring to taking a break from looking all together this past summer.

Yes I invest in midterm/short term rentals myself in SA and I help many investors in my network and on bigger pockets find rentals here in San Antonio/New Braunfels.you can read some of my references and testimonials on my profile or google page 

So, real estate agents may do it part-time, but rarely do they do it well.Recommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

Knowing the good and bad would be much appreciated.Hey Jonathan, are you referring to East Cleveland as in the city?

This will allow you give a reference point on how much potential rent you can receive.

If you do, do you refer to this as a pet deposit, or as an additional deposit?

When I first saw the R/V, I approached the R/V to understand whats going on. i will refer to the squatter as Walter.

That's NOT a viable plan (for reference, see years 2007-2011).If you can't hold it profitably, sell it fast and move on!