Interested to know how much you pay property management companies for covering escrow services etc.

I am looking at a property with a property management service in place and they charge 40% for each rental.

They can provide steady rental income and tend to be easier to manage than larger complexes.Management: Since real estate investing can require hands-on management, think about whether you want to manage the property yourself or hire a property management company.

How do you evaluate potential investments, and what role does financing play in your decision-making process?

How might this decision impact the overall investment strategy and long-term profitability?

How many times will they visit, etc? 

Repairs like this are usually capital expenditures, you write if off in the year purchased and don't depreciate it over time.

My father in-law who is a builder (licensed GC) has agreed to be the project manager and teach me the ropes. 

I think that all the time looking at the market in Ohio.

The grant covering closing costs made sense, but in hindsight, we likely wouldn’t have bought this particular home if we had more time to find the best investment.