I don't see much change occurring, but hey, I could be wrong.The value of agency, as a whole, varies with market conditions in individual markets; varies with the condition, pricing and demand of an individual property; differs with the relative financial strength of the buyer.  

I have done general searches for the surrounding cities before, but I am relatively new to the area (as opposed to me having lived in the DFW area for over 2 decades and having particular areas I plan on investing in).  

I am considering starting with Staten Island and Long Island, as they seem to have relatively lower barriers to entry in terms of pricing.

Are you willing to guaranteed it will bring in above market rents and cash flow at today’s interest rate and your price with a property manager?

I would love to self-manage as many nearby units as I can but am open to investing with management and long-distance, as well. 

They might even not pay if it is found out that you have been STRing the place and have a claim NOT related to guests.Ask your agent for quotes on STR insurance.

Team,Recently wrapped up an eviction with the help of my property manager.

What you do is create a management company and charge out a fee to your rental properties.

The most common I know of for people low on cash is partnering with someone who will finance most, if not all, of the deal in exchange for them taking care of most, if not all, of acquisition and management.

I have not had any applicants attempt to scam me, but I hear about it all the time from landlords and property managers in larger cities.