While this is traditionally a slower period than Jan - Jul, it is clearly must slower than in prior years.  

That's even after checking on them prior to giving bids.One bad instance on a sub:We were at a full rehab helping finish because the guy and his crew were to close to the dead line and there was too much left to do.

And yes there are apps that integrate to make your life easy. for eg Bill and Pay for recurring rent, email invoices, portal for tenants ACH or credit card payment.Here is what you can accomplish after you have written your instructions you should be able to pull up reports by owners, property, units, tenants, vendors, employees, hard and soft money loans, including constructions... and anything you enter and more. -- chart of accounts is just the starting point-- rent roll-- tenant - invoice, statement, payments, credits, recurring rent - advance-- security deposits -- work orders - completed, tenant's call, --lease expiration -- email's - has also a mini CRM build in--as to owners - summary and detail, reserve funds, -- Get reports for everything you enter... create pdf or export to excel .

Also, although thousands of apartments were completed over the past two years, rental inventory remains less than the level prior to the conversion boom, when the metro also had 120,000 fewer households.The surge in apartment construction is also providing an outlet for some of the equity pursuing acquisitions in the metro.

Should we begin interviewing potential PMs prior to purchase to ensure we have one ready to rock once the house is ours? 

I told him, but you don't understand had I showed up at the bank with several large checks that were not in my name and my signatures on the back of them assuming I could deposit based on the instructions provided then I would have been in for a rude awakening, plus no doubt other branch officials would have been called in, I would have looked very suspicious.

I would gladly push it off for a few months to keep an already vetted, paying, good tenant in.Plus, like @Kevin Leonce said, if you're worried about lease up, start advertising a little earlier to get a signed lease prior to his move-out. 

Yes, I do choose an appraiser to appraise the property prior to listing.

My HOA requires a signed lease contract prior to the HOA background check and interview process.  

There's a lot that really should go on around it, but that's the core of it.That's enough to make you very dangerous because I don't have the time / room here to give you the content of the five or so 8-hour classes where that instruction is contained (Tax and Legal I & II, Self Directed Retirement Accounts, Private + Hard Money, Property Analysis).Again, spend some quality time here on BP.