@James E Fraley JrProperty managers absolutely hire assistants to manage overflow.

If your friends have a rental they should hire a tax professional. 

Scrren PMC's by asking if you will get the material invoices AND the actual invoices from any contractors they hire. - Be prepared to pay for a PMC's time!

You need someone who designs for both beauty and profitability.Here are 10 Must-Haves When Hiring an Interior Designer for Your Vacation Rental:1.

@Jarret Jarvis I can't imagine many house hackers hire a PM.

Quote from @Thanh Lu: For owners with a small portfolio (1-3 STR), how did you decide between self management vs hiring a vacation rental company?

I’d recommend starting with rental arbitrage to get your feet wet and generate some positive cash flow.While I haven’t personally done rental arbitrage, some of my employees have, and they found it to be profitable.However, as a long-term strategy, you’re essentially building your castle on someone else’s land.

.: Its typical for real estate investors to hire a private home/building inspectors to inspect a real estate property before they buy it.

I'll make them do it again and never hire them for the next job. 

If you had to hire an attorney on your own to advise you on this stuff, that makes the self-managing rather expensive.