Property management contractor is about 15% higher vs a contractor I found.How does one go about refusing to use their contractor and payment.

Managing expenses for a short-term rental property using spreadsheets is a great start.

They are going to have the private notes and documents in the MLS that you won't be able to see

We managed to make a friend or two along the way.

I just met with Jake regarding joining the new BP Property Manager finder/connection tool.

This is a blind spot for most self managers.

Investing locally you can self manage.

Honestly, having a great management company is also very important and can help mitigate any potential problems that might otherwise creep up.  

That house will rent for less than $3,000 a month so you'll have nothing left to set aside for vacancies, property management, etc.Learn how to crunch numbers, then work with a professional that can help you understand the true costs of a market.

I'm pretty sure it's in the top three best property manager software options.