3 - Given that the answer to #2 is probably still somewhat complicated and time consuming, are there firms or individuals popping up yet who will do it all for me?

Mark Ferguson's Flip your way to financial freedomGary Kellers  Millionaire real estate investorPhil Pustejovsky How to be a real estate investorThe ultimate beginner's guide from BPAnd a short book on flipping from do hard money that im not proud of.I need more material on the topic to consume. 

If you don't have a signed contract then you are pretty much done except for recalling all the cards you gave out.Anything more than this get the advise of an attorney who specializes in contract law and consumer fraud.

Plus a lot of people want to get out of their corporate gig (which I did), but they don't realize that being an entrepreneur is massively more time consuming than a standard 9-5.

Other PMs will tell you to add/increase fee for filling a vacancy but educated consumers wont like that.

I have a relatively high paying W-2, several rentals (where they use $0 of the rental income on my mortgage application), and no consumer debt.  

As a matter of fact, if it’s an open item I sure am not going to consume it.

While an owner-occupant is willing to take this time consuming task on for free, it is a direct expense for an investor.What this really adds up to is the cards are stacked against an investor with respect to making money in rentals, not the other way around.

Don't look to hit a home run on any, just look to hit singles and doubles.And as Ivan and Greg mentioned consume as much content on multifamily as you can in order to make the best decisions.I've take a similar strategy and it has worked very well so myself as the other investors I work with.

Don't kid yourself that the scarcity mindset doesn't think the first way - just because they're hoarding dollars by clipping coupons and cutting their own lawns doesn't mean they're going to make that money make money - it's still going to be blown on consumer goods or experiences.