There are some solid lessons in that tale.

@Evan Polaski @Erik Whiting both of your stories seem to be cautionary tales not only of getting into bed with a third party, but the extremely frustrating aspects of working with any bureaucracy.

However, I've watched newbies fumble with probate leads they bought from a list broker spinning tales about what a lucrative niche it is.  

It's those maniacs that buy homes cash via quit claim deed off of craigslist that really get screwed.Make sure your property manager is a licensed real estate brokerage.Google Clayton Morris scam and/or Morris Invest fraud for a cautionary tale of what not to do when buying turnkey real estateUnderstand you can not eliminate all risk, only mitigate it.

From there you handle everything, but have the advantage to defer back to them if you need help or advice for a fee.This inst a turnoff to potential tenants that are going to be any good, and an advantage to you because the management company will already have vetting procedures, background check in place, etc. to get you a good tenant.

It's those maniacs that buy homes cash via quit claim deed off of craigslist that really get screwed.Make sure your property manager is a licensed real estate brokerage.Google Clayton Morris and/or Morris Invest for a cautionary tale of what not to do when buying turnkey real estateUnderstand you can not eliminate all risk, only mitigate it.

Many of the landlord tales of woe we read about could have been prevented or readily handled if the owner had been associated with a good landlord group.The one I belong to has been invaluable.

I have tested a few methods for finding myself leads- Google Ads, Direct Mail campaigns, Bandit Signs, Driving Around, Craigslist/Marketplace, Zillow, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, Buying lists, etc.

(Actionable lessons, how-to's)Scott Brown Carpentry (Enjoyable content, Great production value, how-to's)Paint Life TV (Actionable lessons, how-to's)Bonus: Tarl Yarber is doing some great work putting rehab videos out on @BiggerPockets .com youtube channel as well but they are few and far between for now. investorgirlbritt on instagram has some great content and I think is working with BP but only one youtube video up for now on her account (Brittany Arnason). 

But you can't find a better cautionary tale in the world of business about understanding trends in your market and adapting to compete.DISH (and the other satellite media providers) may be in the same boat soon with their core businesses.