Maryland doesn't regulate PMs (which is a whole other story), however if the PM does have a real estate sales license (i.e., they're a Realtor) then they can be subject to discipline by the Maryland Real Estate Commission, and you can be compensated from the MREC Guarantee Fund.

@Jeff EbertRecommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

My partners and I run a bimonthly real estate event here in Tampa, you are more than welcome to attend.  

Since the beginning of the year I have been diving into real estate trying to learn as much as I could, whether that was listening to podcasts, joining webinars, or doing my own daily research. 

There's a lot of value (even if a higher interest rate) to us finding a simple deal like this...We have great credit and solid income - I would think, for the right rate, there would be lenders out there jumping at the chance for these guaranteed returns - we'd even consider putting up the equity of the Texas home (and obviously the land itself) to secure some portion/all of the loan?

My real estate agent brought it to me as an off market deal.

For lower credit score tenants, I only offer m2m.

You can also check meetup.com or search Facebook for real estate investment groups, clubs, or meetings in your area.

I’m 23 years old and fairly new to the real estate investing world.

If so should be a fairly simple process at 75 LTV if your credit score is solid.