I got lucky that the tenant wanted a house in my neighborhood to keep kids close to their schoolsHouse was listed for 1750, they offered 2250 but I declined , so they offered $3k, ended up renting the house for $3250 ($250 pet rent) per month, for 3 month, open to extension if needed.I met the tenant and did the background check on them, I felt comfortable renting to them THD takes time with approving the property, but they were quick to approve the lease, and they sent me the checks the next day after lease signingMy house is not furnished, and they were ok with that , they actually work with a company that provides furniture for the tenant, and they coordinate the delivery and setup of furniture on the lease start dateOverall I like the experience working with them , but hey today is day #1 (out of a possible 3 months), so I will update this post if anything wrong happens or if I notice any red flags

Any insights on suitable areas, zoning regulations, or market trends would be greatly appreciated!

Knowing what it's zoned for is helpful!

I hated it so much that when they offered to keep me in my unit (which meant no chance of going to Iraq or Afghanistan), I turned it down and chose the combat zone options instead. 

Do your research on the forums for general tips on hiring a PM, what to look for, what to look out for, good stories, bad stories, learn from others about their experiences with all kinds of PMs all over the place and take what you learn when you're speaking to PMs in your area so you can more easily see red flags, or green flags!

It depends on the laws in your state, the agents and clients comfort zone, as well as insurance. 

Get out of your comfort zone.

Thank you for encouraging me to step outside my comfort zone—I learned a lot and made some great connections.

It’s a huge red flag. 

There was a post the other day someone posted about and invested in and the sponsor had a very shady past which should have been an immediate red flag.