Those who give me an estimate, don't give me a break up of costs.

Don't be an absentee landlord... it costs a lot of money...

However, it might come with higher maintenance costs and more management responsibilities.Financing and Down Payment: With your savings and HELOC, you can make a substantial down payment of 35-40%.

I checked out neighborhoodscout.com but I am wondering what good competitors are out there, and if there are any free (or lower cost) alternatives.

Think of it as making new friends with benefits – of the real estate variety.Leverage Your Cash: Use your cash for down payments and renovation costs.

Can try to reposition to Class B, but neighborhood may impede these efforts.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, but 15-20% should be used to also cover tenant nonpayment, eviction costs & damages.Tenant Pool: majority will have FICO scores of 560-620, many blemishes, but should have no evictions in last 2 years.

Both helpful and effective when getting started! 

Understand the fees involved and calculate the total cost for an entire year of management so you can compare the different managers.

Differentiating to increase occupancy or highlight the value offered doesn't need to cost money. 

Investors that are looking to offset their investment costs can typically expect to cover the majority of operational and carrying costs, but those seeking positive strong cash flow and ROI can find limited cost saving inputs.