Out of State Investing

[Account Closed]

Hi all, I'm new to BP and to real estate investing. I'm about to graduate from college with a BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance. I'm very interested in real estate investing and have been since I was young. This past summer I bought two rentals, one was a turnkey the other needed a ton of work. The work has been completed and there is now equity in the home. Mortgage is 550 rent is 1000.

I live in San Diego and can't afford to buy anything in this area. Is it better to look in nearby cities, maybe an hour away and try to self manage or to find further or possibly even out of state properties and get them professionally managed?

Also, since I am 22, I'm having trouble getting loans and don't have much cash do to college expenses. What is the best way to expand my portfolio? Take out an equity loan or cash out refinance? I'm worried that if I do this I wont be able to get another mortgage since I can't prove a high enough income. Any thoughts or advice are greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.