Kudos for taking the first step and getting your first deal.

It looks like you've taken more steps than some, so, keep learning and planning your next moves!

I think all the other seasoned investors would agree the best timing to make your first step into REI is yesterday.  

Please, please, PLEASE learn how to underwrite an apartment before taking the next step.

It’s awesome that you’re taking steps toward buying in an area you love and planning for the future—whether it’s as a second home or a long-term investment for your kids, this is a meaningful goal.

I love how you reframed failure as a stepping stone to success.

I feel like it would be great to trust a property management company on all of this, but it would be hard not to step in if you could do a better job at screening bad tenants (eg screening HUGE future problems).I initially managed properties myself, but now I delegate that responsibility to my business partner, personal assistant, or a property manager at my brokerage.Most PMs I know will send you an applicant for final approval and you can get on the phone with them and ask them questions

Giving them a laundry list of items will typically just overwhelm them and create more confusion instead of giving them a smaller step process to get more confidence to get the ball rolling and then they can get into the weeds on their state when they get the contractors out there, have local bids come in, and dial in their plan. 

Tell them to get out in seven days, use the deposit for unpaid rent, cleaning, and repairs.

I had a very simple answer to that NOPE I had to learn you have to learn it and I am not going to create my own competition given that so few props actually get sold at the courthouse steps..