I purchased a property in an area with an HOA in 2020 in a ski town with the intent to build a home on it to live in during retirement (15 years away) and rent until then using it occasionally when not rented to cover the mortgage.

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

As already mentioned, a checklist is great for this, and then you need to inspect periodically, because dishes break and vegetable peelers disappear. 

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

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

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

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. 

Ate my way thru Italy, trying as many dishes as possible.