I think one could get reasonable indication of a probable renewal by discovering if that Post Office has recently reduced its hours or is having the carrier pick up mail for the route at another location.

And carving out time to quickly rehab units so the empty days are minimized.I e-mail my procedure manual to folks who PM me, as a starting point, if you are interested.If you decide to go it alone look for classes and/or local organizations to keep up with laws and for additional support.

Resist the temptation of simply picking the one projecting the highest return.  

What I have going for me - a Class A Contractor’s license, a healthy W2 salary (I’m an engineer at a “think tank”), a little bit of experience, and about $25k or so in the bank for my next investment.  

One small piece of advice that came to me from my mentor behind the bar that become a huge part of how I know have two properties over time is pick a number.

It's a D class neighborhood.

The most important quality that I look for is someone who picks up the phone and/ or returns calls promptly.

List your properties as a class. 

It’s B-class, was rehabbed long distance for 10% of purchased price, strict 0.5% rule regarding cash-flow (or 5% yearly, but the property taxes there are practically nonexistent), all the utilities on the tenant, super landlord friendly, great PM found through internet and absolutely hassle free.

It's a little bit scary but getting to thoroughly check out your unit and getting to pick your own tenant is worth it.