Agree with @Troy P. about savings, specifically emergency savings.

Most of our savings are for our future home and emergency fund (6 months expenses).What does a typical contract do for housing if anything?

Maybe some of your monthly play money could become your investment property emergency fund.I guess one more. :) Think about getting your HELOCs from credit unions as they are less likely to freeze or cut your line of credit if the economy gets shaky.

There would be space heaters, emergency plumbers etc.

My thinking is that in the worst case scenario, I would still have more equity left in my primary residence should I need it for an emergency situation beyond my normal emergency reserves, and it would be a safer option overall. 

Providing internet may not only have the police knocking on your door to see who is hacking into the pentagon computer or downloading child porn, but it WILL also get you a bunch of unnecessary maintenance calls and maybe even that legendary 3 am emergency call from an obviously stoned college student.

>Tenant Procurement/Placement – could be percent of monthly rent or a flat feePictures, 3D Tours, etcAdvertising prep and determining market rentProperty advertisingAnswering inquiries (phone/text/emails/etc)Scheduling showingsShowingsApplication processingLease signings and MoveInsFollowing up on all of the above, hopefully consistently updating owners>Maintenance ChargesCommon: owner agrees in contract that PMC can perform work without owner approval up to a certain threshold (Example $500) or in an emergency.Questionable: owner doesn’t find out about charges below threshold until they get their monthly statement.Hourly – PMC bills at hourly rate depending on type of ServiceTech sentEXAMPLE: Owner billed at $65/hour for handyman workMarkup is hidden in that rate as highly unlikely PMC is paying their handyman the whole $65/hour.PMC or a subsidiary billing – PMC submits bill from their companyEXAMPLE: Owner receives a bill for licensed HVAC work on PMC form.Owner does not get the licensed mechanical contractor bill, so has no idea of PMC hidden markupTransparent – original bills from all contractors sent to owner, PMC charges a pre-approved markup for their time to handle.EXAMPLE: Owner receives a bill for licensed HVAC work on contractor’s form.Only challenge is some PMC’s get illegal kickbacks from contractors owners don’t seeThere are then many different IF -> THEN fees to cover evictions, emergencies, filing insurance claims, etc.WARNING: never assume you won’t be charged for something unless it states so in the management contract!

We would want to do as much management as we could ourselves, any suggestions of property managers who would just clean and be on call for maintenance or emergencies?

(A) A landlord who is a party to a rental agreement shall do all of the following:(1) Comply with the requirements of all applicable building, housing, health, and safety codes that materially affect health and safety;(2) Make all repairs and do whatever is reasonably necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition;(3) Keep all common areas of the premises in a safe and sanitary condition;(4) Maintain in good and safe working order and condition all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning fixtures and appliances, and elevators, supplied or required to be supplied by the landlord;(5) When the landlord is a party to any rental agreements that cover four or more dwelling units in the same structure, provide and maintain appropriate receptacles for the removal of ashes, garbage, rubbish, and other waste incidental to the occupancy of a dwelling unit, and arrange for their removal;(6) Supply running water, reasonable amounts of hot water, and reasonable heat at all times, except where the building that includes the dwelling unit is not required by law to be equipped for that purpose, or the dwelling unit is so constructed that heat or hot water is generated by an installation within the exclusive control of the tenant and supplied by a direct public utility connection;(7) Not abuse the right of access conferred by division (B) of section 5321.05 of the Revised Code;(8) Except in the case of emergency or if it is impracticable to do so, give the tenant reasonable notice of the landlord's intent to enter and enter only at reasonable times.

I have someone lined up that will have a full set of keys to the property and will be the designated "in case of emergency" contact and I also have a few on call handymen, an HVAC guy, a plumber and an electrician.