I see becoming an Agent as a sacrifice of time, energy, and money but in return I get all of the opportunities that come with holding the license. 

Whether that's the buying logistics, what the returns can be with a partnership, and someone's own comfort levels or desire to deal with partners.

It appears that short-term corporate rentals (i.e. at least 30 days, but no more than 3-4 months) tend to have higher returns (principally in terms of monthly cash flow) when compared to traditional long-term residential rentals.

It's how do we prepare our tax return next year so that we actually qualify for the next property. 

If you are going to manage the property yourself then you must remember that any savings from managing yourself is NOT a Return On Investment.

If you "Borrow" $100 today, and the stock markets skyrocket, you have to "pay yourself back" for amount that the stock has skyrocketed for (which may end up being much higher than whatever return you make on real estate).  

If so, I'm curious if you are pleased with the services they have provided as your property managers, and if you are "surviving" with the low returns that their turn-key solution offers. 

So how do you push rents for a better return? 

I saw them quite thoroughly and loudly, as my biased memory fondly recalls in these bleak later years...On a related matter, this one time, I had the cops toss a doctor out of one of my properties.

Now prices have soared and returns are minimal and inventory is low.