Most quality PMCs will not manage these properties as they understand most owners won’t pay them enough for the time required and even then it’s too difficult successfully manage them.

I have found a Chinese manufacturer that will ship me a container full of counters, toilets, tubs, etc. and the discount is pretty significant, but between the low price and some language barrier, this gives me some concern about quality, correct measurements, etc. 

You can still conduct high-quality due diligence by signing up for remote property tours, checking comparable rent prices, running numbers on a few listed properties, or even by looking into local age, education and crime statistics.Then, assemble a local team of real estate brokers, attorneys, and property managers so that you have some boots on the ground.

Professional management.Tell me more please.What kind of rent and quality of the houses?

I agree with Ethan - know your neighborhoods ... some areas may look nice from the outside, but have a high crime rate which will directly affect the quality of tenants you can rent to.

@Michael Bull why is it so difficult to find quality wholesalers in the Sacramento or surrounding regions?

A well versed agent should be able to provide quality responses to these questions, as well as weed out the inexperienced.

The need for quality residential and commercial space has become astonishing, making the right investment in Toledo is sometimes not easy with so many different projects to choose from.

Which is interesting that in the '08 the market in Des Moines didn't tank, it really just dipped, much different than many of the other areas of the country.Also, here are many reports that are giving Des Moines the title of Best places to Live for various reasons.https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2019/04/11/rankings-des-moines-fifth-best-place-live-america-us-news-world-report-city-quality-of-life-moving/3434737002/https://realestate.usnews.com/places/iowa/des-moineshttps://livability.com/best-places/top-100-best-places-to-live/2019/ia/des-moinesThat being said, depending on your goals, you will want to look in different neighborhoods around Des Moines that have different attributes and different classes of tenants.Good luck and if you want a second/third opinion on the Des Moines area feel free to message me!

Are their listings detailed with good quality photos?