For financing, I recommend you reach out to @Andrew Postell

But I highly recommend reading "Who Not How".

., property management companies aren’t legally required to carry general liability insurance, but it’s highly recommended for protection against bodily injury or property damage claims.

I would recommend buying a standard SFH with opportunities for an ADU, or a split floor plan where you could rent out the rooms!

.- I recommend avoiding condos. 

Also, can anyone recommend a reliable company for this?

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

If you want to buy in University city, I recommend staying as close to the universities possible in order to attract the best tenants and have the best room for appreciation.

I do have a co-host, but they're not able to provide much assistance in these areas.Any advice or recommendations for finding reliable handyman services and staging help for out-of-town STR owners?