It seems if you are far away from this property then it might be a good idea to consider hiring the services of an experienced property manager who really could provide ongoing communication during the whole stay.  

Focus on stable, low-maintenance properties in B-class neighborhoods and hire property managers to reduce complexity.

I'd do that and I'd fire the PM and hire a reputable one. 

I paid him 15k AFTER paying another architect , just because the town insisted I hire him.

I'm assuming there's lots of stuff out there that's way cheaper.I originally wanted to just buy a couple lists of 10k numbers each of targeted motivated sellers, and then hand them off to a VA company that will dial them, but I was told it'll be a much better business if I get proficient myself and then hire my own VA's and train them.

hire people to do the repairs-the owners pay for it whether you do it or you hire someone to do it. 

If they can do the job for that price, you should hire them immediately!

Real Estate AttorneysPeople hire real estate attorneys for a variety of reasons, including to help them get rid of properties they can’t afford or don’t want.

Has one of the reasons why I’m reluctant to hire friends or people from our church.

What is a reasonable cost for hiring a CPA?