What's your purpose of hiring someone on an hourly rate? 

Will you hire a developer or build it yourself?

If you are only looking to create a trust to avoid probate, you could probably hire an attorney to make a revocable trust.

I want to remain local in NJ or at most drive down 1hr to PA (self-manage or, last resort, hire a PM)However, I must also consider maintaining reserves, a safety net for my primary home, and an emergency fund.It's just hard for a new investor now :(

Hiring a property management company with experience in the markets you're considering can be a game-changer.Have you identified which markets you want to invest in?

From there, you have to decide whether you want to be a landlord or hire a property manager.

I hired a GC to do the build.

This development is part of a broader trend that sees Columbus evolving into the "Silicon Heartland," with other major players like Intel and Honda already establishing significant operations in the region.Economic Impact and Job CreationThe arrival of Anduril is poised to become the largest job-creation project in Ohio's history, with the company planning to hire 4,000 employees.

Thought about if I did scale to say 100-200 doors that I would hire another company to audit the current PM on how they're handling my properties. 

Just got off the phone with another DIY landlord looking to hire a PMC.They really didn't like our response to their question, "How long does it take you to find a tenant?"