I guess my next question should be after I drive for dollars, what has been the most efficient way to get in contact with the property owner?

The value of the asset is heavily tied to how well the property is managed and how strong the demand cycles are (occupancy, ADR, seasonality, management efficiency, etc.).

If you don’t live in it every day, it feels risky and time-consuming compared to conventional deals you can move predictably.A lot of LOs would rather protect efficiency than fight through guideline gray areas.Personally, I focus on these loans for that exact reason.

As you continue to grow, having systems around leasing, screening, and ongoing management can really make a difference, especially when juggling different asset types.If you ever want to bounce ideas around or have questions related to professional property management or scaling efficiently, I’m always happy to help or point you in the right direction, even though I’m in a different market.

There is a LOT happening behind the scenes on our end, ensuring everybody stays complaint and these certificates are handled as efficient as possible. 

I add in a time urgency factor.

When you zoom out and look at your full tax and financial picture, the goal is to understand all of your available options, both on your current property and future acquisitions and then optimize those decisions to intentionally grow your portfolio in the most tax-efficient way possible.

Looks like you already got a lot of good input here, so I'll just add one thing: at your size, I think the biggest factor is less "local vs. virtual" and more whether the workflow is clear and repeatable each month. 

(Then we’d just start a commune, I guess.)The Setup: Living My Best (Small) LifeI bought a 2BD/1BA home with a private efficiency studio.

The bigger factors tend to be:Operational complexity (multiple properties, scattered locations, mixed asset types)Control needs (renovation pace, leasing standards, branding)Volume consistency (enough units to keep a manager fully utilized year-round)Leadership capacity (someone actually able to oversee operations)For many investors, the tipping point isn’t 10 vs. 20 doors — it’s when coordination becomes a full-time operational role instead of a side responsibility.If your portfolio can support:A dedicated operations leadStandardized systemsVendor oversight and accounting processesThen in-house can create efficiency and tighter control.If not, third-party often remains more economical because you’re effectively “sharing” infrastructure across multiple owners.Door count matters, but process maturity and management bandwidth usually matter more.