What do I do 20k, 30k, 45k and 65k?

[Dardine Eduardo Soto]

I'm in a position where in 22 months I will be debt free. As such, I will have 20k, 30k, 45k, and 60k the next 4 years and 60k each year for a few years after that. I live in California, but wish to target Michigan, Ohio or Indiana as places to invest. My initial thought as a remote investor in this area is: Trust local high-reputation companies -be it turnkey or others-, to get my feet wet and move from there. This is daunting as I am well-read, but relatively new to the industry. What would you do in my shoes?