When you ask them specifically how you can determine what they will charge you, or for a particular house, their answer is, "It's negotiable."

If I could I would turn the power, water, cable and internet off to hopefully rid them of the property sooner.

This selection will determine the opportunities that will be pursued to get started.http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2013/02/22/buying-rental-property/ (how to buy a rental property) http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2014/01/07/flipping-houses/ (step by step guide to flips)https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2015/01/31/ultimate-beginners-guide-real-estate-wholesaling-2/ (Ultimate beginners guide to wholesaling)Now that you have made the move, below are some links that will help with the navigation of the site. http://www.biggerpockets.com/startherehttp://www.biggerpockets.com/meethttps://www.biggerpockets.com/alertsHow to Use @Mentions on BiggerPocketshttps://www.biggerpockets.com/ruleshttps://www.biggerpockets.com/termshttps://www.biggerpockets.com/inviteshttps://www.biggerpockets.com/perkshttps://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/categorieshttps://www.biggerpockets.com/courses/a-beginners-introduction-to-real-estate-investing (video courses)https://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investing (Ultimate beginner's guide to REI)Before your 1st purchase, please ensure you visit the below link for some tips.https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2014/12/19/real-estate-investing-success-smart-tips/REI books suggested by BPershttps://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2015/11/13/7-real-estate-books-beginner-investors/ (7 absolute must read books for beginner REIs)http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2013/04/14/best-real-estate-books/?

(I'm guessing 85% LTV is out of the question.)My loan shopping focus has been on many local or regional banks, and tried one national internet-based bank.

IMO and experience the 50% rule is overly conservative - - I use 30% of GSI as a boundary to determine if the property is being managed properly - - lower indicates inaccurate data and higher indicates obsolete fixtures and equipment.

. - All factors that will determine the value to you, and the value to a potential buyer upon your exit. 

None of us here for sure know whether your PM is competitively priced - they may or may not, you will need to determine that.  

You need to determine where you see asset exposure and to what lengths you would like to go to protect yourself.  

I'm in a similar situation (sort of) and am trying to determine best way to structure RE purchases.

I am currently working as a Senior Operations Manager in Transportation.With a plethora of information and available on the internet I am struggling to find the best place to focus my efforts and get started.