I see this as a few stages.BEFORE GOING:So before going, I would use the internet and what's available to you right now to find out as much about the area.Look up the crime infested areas using Trulia, look up the school ratings, look at city level stats like unemployment rate, population growth, property taxes. 

I’ve been searching the Internet for resources regarding how to move forward to buy a second property.

what is the best way to manage and troubleshoot a shared internet connection across multiple tenants?

carefull you will now get contacted by fake lenders out to steal due diligence or commitment fee money from you.do not shop for HML on the internet.. go to your local meet ups and ask around or call your local title and escrow companies and ask them what companies they see actually making loans in your market.be aware of the too good to be true terms..and the ( we just need 500.oo commitment fee your all approved net that to move forward) 

I have been reading, looking at YouTube and researching on the internet.

Internet (you may need to have this if laundry machines, security cameras, etc etc need to be accessed remotely; with a big enough property companies may pay you to be exclusive - larger apartment complexes, MHPs, RVPs and marinas) Payroll, Payroll taxes, Employee benefits & workers' comp insurance (if onsite employees)Vehicle expenses, repairs, licenses, gas & oil & insurance (even for cushman carts for maintenance people)Licenses Bank charges (NSF checks etc; I include an allowance for this in expenses just in case; also credit/debit card fees if tenants pay with cards) That's all I noticed. 

AZ was an easier since i used to live there and am more familiar with the cities, geographical layout etc, but i have never been to AL before i started investing there. i think once you read David Greene's book, if you agree with him, you'll realize that it doesn't really matter if you live there or not, it all comes down to having a great team working for you, and with the internet, you can really do a lot of the knowledge understanding before making a trip out there to figure out that's where you want to invest in.

By "everything" I mean water, electricity, internet, cable/satellite TV, renters insurance and burglar alarm service.

When it comes to non agent related activities such as picking up and placing signs, checking on vacant properties, etc.Would paying someone per trip to a home or per activity be worth it to free up your time to concentrate on revenue generating activities?

It is kind of apt to bring it up here as I use a "generic" avatar expressly to NOT post my image on the Internet.