@Aishah the MLS is the best source of comps however, if you get to know a realtor that has intimate knowledge of the area, it may give you a better understanding of the value of a property. 

It's a different animal, and you need to intimately understand your specific market dynamics.  

I would expect an agent would have an agreement to represent you on any properties they find, if you sign an exclusive buyers agreement - I would limit it geographically and in time frame.

Putting the actual expense question aside .....how much equity do you have trapped in your properties at this point in time.

They still suffer, IMHO, from being run by brokers and don't have a sponsor-centric DNA at the core of what they're offering, but perhaps that will change in time. 

Since our 2022 taxes were due in October 2023 (CA extended due date), we knew that we wouldn’t find another CPA to do our taxes in time, so we allowed Brad Doran and Alan Kirkham to match us with another ‘WealthAbility CPA’ to complete our tax prep and filing, while they worked on coordinating a refund for us… a refund that was promised to us repeatedly, but still has yet to come to fruition.

I do believe in time we will have a correction or crash.

They pay rent and expect service.Act quickly on late rent payment and evict if needed based on State laws.Become intimately familiar with State laws.

As a beginning investor you need to intimately understand your market, and it's easiest to do that near where you live.

Cut your losses and move on... the cost (monetarily, in time, and aggravation) to pursue $2K is not a good business decision in my opinion... and even if you won a judgement, collecting is another matter altogether.Am I reading your post correctly - you're in NY, the house is in OH and the contractor is from MI?