I usually starred by asking for some documentation to confirm they have work or the available funding before moving in although I want to make the process easier and smooth on the tenant but still at the same time protect myself and know that they’re gonna pay and stay for the desire timeI also wanted to see if you guys used some kind of a system to have all the payment and transaction and sublease go through and a way to take the security deposit without having to make the tenant feel like it’s a scam I want to secure the security deposit just in case they want to feel like they can get their money in case they’re a little worried or want to make sure that the processes is legit

Do they do the site visit or offer any audit support?

That kind of upfront clarity builds long-term trust.One thing many agents underestimate: investors care less about granite countertops and more about mechanicals, roof age, layout functionality, and exit strategy alignment (rent vs. resale).

They neither provide a surprise inspection visit (We asked this because it’s no brainer that tenants will temporarily send the animals away temporarily for passing the inspection) nor install camera facing the street for us because they said they need to inform renters before the inspection and due to the surveillance  violates the tenants privacy, they rejected our request. 

If you look in the news or in posts here, you will see the reported Smokies visitation numbers are down by 700K for 2025. 

We quickly realized that after we visited.

Showing the properties to potential tenants, visiting the property for move in, seasonal  and move out, inspections or to assess need for repair due to maintenance requests (vendors often charge visit/diagnostic fees, tenants often are limited in ability to understand and accurately report issues, even with video/photo)What are your strategies for self managing but doing so remotely?

I'm also visiting the area in a month so any local recommendations are welcome! 

Just trying to be honest about what i'm ready to sign up for e.g. could I really trust a team to manage a portfolio fully remotely or would I feel the need to visit.

The key isn’t price, it’s whether the depreciation materially offsets the cost.Who to use: Firms that do full engineering studies with site visits and proper documentation tend to be the most defensible.