Their reps also appear to be from Europe so a big time variance in available times for calls with them.

I have heard from others that you should learn and research tax if possible for your first property rather than hire CPA right off the bat as it should be less complex from strategy.

However, if being a landlord isn’t appealing, hiring a property manager would ease that burden.

Honestly, if you are out of state you should probably be hiring property management regardless of troublesome tenants in the present.i don't know how experienced you are as an investor or if this market you're buying in is one due for exceptional appreciation but realistically $160/mon cashflow is not a move i would suggest in the short term considering you're a world away and any number of things could go wrong that would wipe out a years worth of cashflow overnight. 

This leads to the problems worsening, and I end up having to hire an emergency technician to handle the repairs.

.- Buy or scale quick enough to be able to hire a handyman full time (students are relentless)- Just tell your PM team to make the the tenants - life is easier that way

I am with you, the day I hired a bookkeeper was one of the happiest days in my life.

I definitely understand why you want them but you're better off hiring someone to manage in my opinon. 

I hire a property manager and I have never in 10+ years of having a PM had a tenant reach out to me, if they got upset or had a complaint they dealt with the property manager.

Two months out from end of the yearly lease I reach out to the tenants Rep and tell them what I think the lease should be moved up to (go off FMR) and they approve or deny (always approve so far because I am realistic) an automatically increase it at the one year mark