It's so much better to get a property manager than to try to run things yourself. One big reason is that if your insurance co. finds you were renting out the property while living out of town (or even at some distance in the same town), they WILL refuse coverage if something happens. But most insurance companies don't mind rentals if you let them know in advance what you're doing and provide documentation that the building is managed by a local company. (If the property is uninsured, don't even think of renting it out. People are really careless, especially on vacation, and damage and accidents will happen.)

Most management companies only charge 10% of the rent for long-term rentals, but they'll expect a regular fee and a percentage if they're hired to manage a vacation property (just because those properties tend to sit empty for long periods and then require lots of management when they are rented). I guess you'll have to ask yourself if you'll get enough business to make it worth your while to hire management?

It might be worth doing some research into the companies relocating to the Mesilla valley area to do business with the border factories. They may want to rent your house for temporary visitors or employee housing. Maybe the NMSU housing and/or HR departments would be able to offer suggestions, too.

Good luck!

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