I locked in 2.875% then they took forever to close and were busy so I thought I'd try to get competing offers especially after hearing the benchmark rate fell to zero.

If a property hits certain benchmarks they post them with the specs on what kind of returns you can expect. 

Differentiate your rental like @John Underwood mentioned- amenities, prime location, benchmark on your competitors.

Yes, I invest in high yield dividend stocks, that have good revenue and dividend growth (other benchmarks as well I check before buying) for cash flow, as well as a LTR and a STR, and a couple of notes for a good mix. 

Check their rates, lease fees, lease renewal fees etc.Do direct deposit of your rent collection and contributions to your PM for repairs from that bank account you just opened and never touch the income as you save for the next property.Do a spread sheet on all your properties as you accumulate more to keep up with passwords for log in to lenders, PMs, insurance, etc. keep track of cash flow, property taxes and insurance (the fluctuations of these benchmarks will give you the information you need to make decisions on raising the rent or not.

I figure maybe between $8K to $10K a month when all is said and done.My PM teams have really been a blessing as they vet tenants with great benchmarks to find the best, as well as property inspections, and keeping me informed.I just got an e-mail the other day from my PM in Alabama telling me that they went to our property for its inspection and found it in great shape and commented that this tenant takes really special care of the house and the tenant told the PM while he was there that they would love to stay there for many more years (they will be resigning for their 4th straight lease.) 

If you're going to use recent history as the benchmark for your 20% gains, that's actually not all that much better than what you would have earned from investing in in an index fund and not lifting a finger otherwise.

I will then move to good return benchmarks and close with the most important piece of choosing a turnkey company.

Those homes are your benchmarks (competition)do what they did.  

However, a commonly used benchmark is the 70% rule.The 70% rule suggests that to make a flip worth it, you should aim to purchase a property for no more than 70% of the after-repair value (ARV) minus the estimated renovation costs.