However, from a real world day to day experience it's a totally different animal.

They need to eat and pay bills, so they are going with the ones they think they can close. 

Managing five rentals can eat up a ton of time in any given week, often at times that are inconvenient to you and your personal interests (family, hobbies, travel, etc.).Of course you can manage on your own.

Do we go with the electricians recommendation and eat that cost to get the upstairs unit properly heated?

Property managers have established vendor relationships and can handle issues quickly.Cons of Hiring a Property Manager❌ Lower Profit Margins – Management fees (typically 8-12% of monthly rent) eat into your cash flow, which can be a dealbreaker if your margins are tight.❌ Less Control Over Tenants & Maintenance – You won’t be as involved in selecting tenants or overseeing repairs, which might lead to decisions you wouldn’t have made yourself.❌ Not All Property Managers Are Great – A bad property manager can neglect your property, overcharge for repairs, or poorly handle tenant relations, leading to unnecessary headaches.Which Option Is Right for You?

I understand that completing long distances BRRRRs is a different kind of animal, so I am hoping to glean insight from investors who have successfully gone down this path.

I understand the seller would be able to get top dollar for their property on the open market as wholesaling would eat into their profits.

Avoiding accessive PM fees (personally I recommend most people self-manage)These will eat away at your ROI.

It just eats up a good portion of the lot area, which could potentially be used for another unit or a much nicer outdoor area. 

You’re not using a PM, AND you’re assuming you can charge a service animal a deposit and pet rent?