We don’t know any PMCs to recommend in the orange county area mentioned, but since selecting the wrong PMC is usually more harmful than selecting a bad tenant, you might want to read our series about “How to Screen a PMC Better than a Tenant”:https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91877-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-1-services-and-processesWe recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.

I have no idea what I'm doing as I've never used a CRM before, so I can't compare it to anything.

So, find comparable units and figure out how long they sit on the market.

Check Airbnb and compare your potential STR to the listed rentals and get an idea of your location and price point. 

I'd compare coverages and narrow down from there based on what you want and can get.  

Your tone comes off harsh and not respectful of a blue collar profession. 

I started looking OOS to other recommended markets but realized prices in my market are still relatively low when compared to other areas, meaning in the $225,000-$325,000 range for 3-4 units but there’s not much inventory.

It's like musical chairs and this will keep driving prices until the market finds an equillibirium between supply and demand, which all free markets will do over time, but since supply and demand are not that flexible it has to be price that will reduce demand until we are balanced.Milwaukee is also seeing a little bit of an increase in imigration due to climate change: smoke, fires, drought, hurricanes, floods, fresh water - in combination with remote work and low cost of housing compared to most of the country.

Before visiting the property we did our due diligence by looking for comparable properties on the MLS in order to understand if this was a good deal.Determining our offer price:We use the 70% rule to determine our offer price on any property.

You can also do some secret shopping by pretending to be a renter and touring homes on the market that are comparable to yours.