I invested with ODC fairly recently for some of the same reasons many others have, Brandon, his positivity, energy and drive to succeed, ability to build a competent team, the network he has built, the communication and the investment structure the sponsors invested in themselves. ultimately, It is STILL our job as investors to monitor our money, ask questions and evaluate the sponsors' thru their reports. 

A PMC is the ONLY one that will deal daily with your property.Here's some copy & paste advice on hwo to screen PMCs: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.

Seller financing can be a fantastic way to get into a 4+ unit property, especially in a competitive market like Chicago.Have you started reaching out to owners directly or networking with agents who specialize in multifamily properties?

Finally, network with other investors and start small to gain experience.

If you don't have a content deliver network to show why people should come to your rural region, you might have a much more difficult time.

@Chris Kay to learn to properly DIY manage you have two basic options:1) Trial & fire on your own, hopefully not making a major mistake that costs you tens of thousands of dollars.- Once your time is more impotant to you then the cost of a PMC, you can hire one.2) Hire a PMC to guide you on your first rental and learn from their expertise.- You can buy additional properties and DIY manage those, perhaps leaning on the PMC for any issues you're not sure how to handle on your own.Good luck:)

Maybe you want to attend real estate conferences or join more real estate groups to expand your network.

Networking plays a crucial role in this industry and remember to keep learning continuously.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out like me, I’d love to network and see how we can help each other grow.Thank you, and I look forward to contributing to and learning.Best, Christian

With the network I have been building I am confident that this will be a viable option in 18 months.