My reason for looking into hiring a person with management skills/experience versus handing over to a management company is that the customary method of compensation may not fit very well in my scenario, primarily because my rental rates tend to be well above market averages which will result in a higher dollar amount going to management expenses than would otherwise be the case.

However, if the pest problem resulted from a defect of the property (crack in the foundation, a window needs to be sealed, etc.) then that is when the owner pays/handles. 

I’ve done some Google searches, but the results have typically only been education versus what actual lenders exist.Also, what questions can I ask to better ensure a low/no-doc loaner is safe and reliable?

I also had good experiences with Section 8......Yes I know many people don't like the program.....but from my experience it can work out great.....there are far more vouchers out there then landlords willing to take them and it allowed me to cherry pick the best applicants and have a lot of stability and low turnover rates as a result of that.Don't hesitate to reach out if you'd like to go into a deeper conversation.

Investing out of state will allow you to select the best producing markets now and in the near future.

@Scott M. sounded to me like she refused an extra last months rent the OP asked for on the fly as a result of the credit score. 

Even with "only" 4 units, that's plenty of opportunity to miss out on tax savings or, even worse, have someone do things wrong that could result in fines and penalties if you get audited.

Including a lot of problems in some of our clients' business models, but fortunately, we have helped them to find alternatives to reduce operational costs and keep maintaining the post-pandemic results.

I am a 25 year old Senior Process Engineer working full time in the optical industry overseeing manufacturing operations for producing perception glasses and part time BiggerPockets fanatic/ Investor. 

So from a financial standpoint, if you can continue paying the minimum and putting any additional into income producing investments that can return a rate higher than your interest rate, you will net ahead.