Also I am not sure of the rules about you 1031ing into a property you plan to use, even occasionally. 

A good lease is a pre-printed form, widely circulated and tested in court thousands of time and occasionally revised.

I had the occasional tenant who requested resigning a full year in which cases I usually did.

Driving or flying occasionally helps, but you can also rely on trusted local contractors and property managers for inspections and rehab oversight.

Florida has a promulgated rate system, so most companies charge within a narrow range — about $5.75 per $1,000 for the first $100K and $5 per $1,000 after that.Title/closing fee (their version of the attorney fee): Around $500–$800.Recording, doc stamps, and miscellaneous fees: Roughly $300–$600.Wire and courier fees: Usually $50–$150 combined.So altogether, you’re looking at roughly $2,800–$3,500 in title-related closing costs for a $450K property — sometimes a little less if the seller covers part of it (which happens occasionally in Florida).If you want to get more exact, you can call a local title company in Orlando and ask for a “title quote” — they’ll give you an itemized estimate in a few minutes.

Occasionally properties fall outside this range, but the mass majority will be in this range.In general 2 br units are easier to sell and appreciate better than 1 BR or studios.

Quote from @Jules Aton: I may be in the minority and as a small landlord it is easier but I tend to be flexible with good tenants who have the occasional struggle. 

You’ll likely deal with higher turnover and the occasional roommate issue, so it’s worth thinking about whether that tradeoff fits the way you want to invest.On the garage conversion side, just make sure the numbers justify the cost of the renovation and that it’s all up to code in Phoenix.

There is an occasional thread on BP where the vendor has a system crash of technical glitch and transfers are delayed.

Generally, the smaller the property, the higher the competition — which can mean lower potential returns.Most of my clients today are looking for second homes that they can also rent occasionally, but they see rental income more as a way to offset costs rather than fully cover them.