Beginner seeking advice

[Andrew Roberts]

Hi Everyone!

I'm keen on entering into real estate, with a goal of even getting my first rental property this summer, just to get my toes in the water and we'll see how it goes from there. My biggest concern is getting something here on the East Coast or even in my local area (NYC) due to many issues like the cost of high properties or dealing with co-ops. I'm a bit of an opportunist and I feel that investing into an emerging market makes the most sense on paper; I have my sights set on either Raleigh, NC or Austin, TX or Dallas, TX. 

I just wonder if it makes sense for my first property to be someplace away from home? I read that maintenance companies will take upward of 12% of rent to oversee everything but is it a road worth taking?

Right now I have a great job that pays very well, but my contract for my position ends in 3 years, so I'm trying to take all my savings and transfer it into rentals. With that said, I'm also wondering if it makes sense to pay with cash or leverage. Part of me thinks it's smarter to start with leverage on my first properties just so I can get the lay of the land and do the hustle of looking for those discount properties, but the other part of me knows that by paying cash I can probably create a discount by offering less $$ to the seller and then I don't even have to deal with the lender at all and can take all the money. 

Thanks in advance for any opinions