So your agent may want 4% even if 3% is normal in your area, which honestly is the fair price IMO considering what pains in the butt typical FSBO people are (note: 'typical' and 'all' are not the same thing... but you have no way of knowing until you get into it).Frequently, the FSBO seller is also delusional about price, difficult to negotiate with, etc.If your lender is someone like me, they may simply refuse to do it all together unless there is at least one agent involved to do all the agent-ey stuff that isn't my job (and that my license does not cover), or unless you are a seasoned REI that's got a half dozen transactions under your belt (yup loyalty is a thing), or unless you ask really really nicely. 

Lurkers, I'd suggest getting them the first week in escrow, and being a pain in the butt about it if you need to be! 

The inspection issues we noted particularly are:1) some leaks in the bathrooms and 1 kitchen (we will ask him to fix all these-nothing major)2) missing gas cap3) both furnaces need new filters or cleaned4) 9 year old and 17 year old hot water leak both leak at relief valve.  17 year old one has an active leak.5) Vent pipe from both water heaters not sealed at chimney.5) Electric panels (there are 3) - there are different brands of breakers.

Its a pain but you can bill them for the actual bill that comes in and divide it by number of units (50/50 for duplex).

@Maggie Vineyard, This kind of thing is uncommon (thank heaven) but that doesn't make it less painful for you.  

I know this is boring, but the standard advice to keep 3-6 months living expenses liquid is born out of a lot of pain from people that overextended themselves in real estate and other illiquid assets.  

Hello All,I am doing some research and I am just curious on what the top 5 things you look for in a property management firm and what are your top 5 pain points when dealing with property management firms.Thanks for the feedback in advance

That's a relief!  

What a pain in the butt to pack them out everyday. 

A place like San Francisco which has a lot of security due to job diversity might be different than Detroit which has felt great economic pain due to their previous reliance on one major industry.This is just the beginning of a very complex conversation that can go deep into economics, but I hope this little bit of information helps you Armando !