A good property manager will more than pay for themselves in maximizing rents, proactively compating capex through appropriate maintenance and proactively eliminating tenant issues through quality screening practices. 

It's those maniacs that buy homes cash via quit claim deed off of craigslist that really get screwed.Make sure your property manager is a licensed real estate brokerage.Understand you can not eliminate all risk, only mitigate it.

Eliminate any location where rents or prices did not keep pace with inflation.Metro area population size greater than 1M.

I was hoping to eliminate noise,  not add to it. 

You would be paying both employer and employee taxes on the salary you pay yourself, however, by eliminating the self employment tax, it does end up saving quite a bit. plus, the payroll company (i use ADP) automatically pulls both sides and pays the IRS for me as my paychecks go out, so there is a chunk paid to IRS before its time to do taxes -- when its tax season, a chunk of my amount due has already been paid, which FEELS like a blessing.

The GRM for an area reflects the expected risk and return.If you do not calculate for appreciation you are in effect eliminating one of the profit sources for buy n hold investing and, in most of the best producing ROI markets, the primary profit source. 

We are highly considering eliminating our security deposits knowing that we are taking on a risk.Thoughts?

So I was able to eliminate most of the CAD comps he was using.Also if they don't give you their evidence, they CAD person can't use it against you. 

Rent one of those 6' protection chain link fence, it will keep the onlookers away and will eliminate people dumping trash on your site. 3.

So selling TX Hi and buying SD high as well would at least preserve your position for the next uptick and eliminate that TX boom bust thing.