John,
This is true, the real work begins AFTER you buy your rental property. There are a lot of things to be handled and if you aren't organized from the beginning, you can quickly drown yourself in problems and headaches.
I always suggest obtaining a mentor if you insist on handling the property yourself - someone that truly knows what they are doing (trust me, many people THINK they know, but don't - I was one of them for a long time!) Experience and staying on top of the laws in your state are the best tools you can ever have at your disposal.
I have also been able to automate all of my paperwork - rental applications, lease agreements, evictions, etc... I would encourage any landlord to investigate EZ
Landlord Forms - they are the only site I've found that have state compliant lease agreements.
Anyway, thanks for the tip!