I would also look at long-term rentals in the area with a trusted agent or even just browsing Zillow.

As a first time home buyer it’s hard to know who to trust and what fees I could avoid just by knowing about them.

I just want to make sure that I have my head on straight when thinking about how people get "paid" in this business.

Or are they just filling their own pockets?

Just have them cleaned out for now and then you can see if that resolves the issue.

Free: Wave Accounting, Just P&L and BS  

I'm trying to determine if it's worth investing $14k upfront just to keep 3.5% rate.

We just moved to coastal Maine from Houston (also sick of the heat).

I would expect to see property management, admin, marketing, and contract services (more than just lawn care.) 

Since the market pre-May 2022 just is not comparable anymore I am interested in anyone who has done this in CFL from around May 2022 onward successfully and how it went.The goal would be to aquire a STR that would cash flow itself, or at worst break even and also use that to maximize deductions to lower W2 federal income tax.