I've been in real estate for the past 7 years, and I got my start like so many other investors through reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad. 

The item that I hate shopping for the most is dressers, and nothing else comes remotely close. 

You may want to find a good agent in the southern NH area as I'm hearing that market is prime for investment with people moving up from MA, but your other markets might be just as solid.Also, since you're already an agent, it's pretty easy to get your reciprocal license for NH or RI.

That is a significant amount(on a $500,000 building that comes to $10,000 for 2% or $25,000 for 5%).

We don't spend anywhere near that much nor do we go through 2k worth of linens, kitchen stuff or furniture.

Not sure where you picked that up from, but it's not correct.  

Lower Start-Up CostsTraditional real estate investing requires 20%-25% down, making it difficult for many to scale quickly.

Any idea where the information was coming from? 

I'm in the Tampa area and mainly had mine in the Pinellas County area.  

To avoid going through the same poor experience, keep reading.Even if someone gives you a referral here, do NOT make the mistake of assuming that the PMC will meet your expectations, just because they met the expectations of the referral source.In our experience, the #1 mistake owners make when selecting a Property Management Company (PMC) is ASSUMING instead of CONFIRMING.It's often a case of not doing enough research, as they don't know what they don't know!