Any recommendations that make sense welcomed. 

My recommendation is to work with a knowledge independent agent that can pair you with the right company.  

Does anyone know a good property management company to recommend in the area of Columbus, GA? 

Regardless of how you decide to do it, I recommend you look into a program like Baselane for your bookkeeping from the beginning.

We are considering purchasing property on the Southwest/Gulf side where we plan to live for the first year before transitioning the property into a rental, open to STR or LTR.We would greatly appreciate any insights or recommendations you might have regarding hot neighborhoods in this market that are ideal for a strong ROI and investing within our budget.

We also pull tax information and public records data to help estimate things on the expense side.I personally have 25 listings and recommend that folk do as you say and learn the nuances and intimacies for specific properties in specific markets.

and if so could any one recommend a few good title companies.

I would never pay a few hundred bucks a month for something like this and would not recommend it to anyone either. 

I agree with Adam- a lot of expanding PM is through word of mouth and by recommendations.

@Jennifer TaylorI recommend finding a tax strategist who specializes in real estate taxation and tax planning.