We plan to have a property-manager and in 3+ years we will likely be living outside the US in Europe/Asia. 

These are good guys  from the East bay they have both live and virtual meetups.

Stick to areas south and east of SW Blvd.  

I currently live in the East Bay and am trying to understand the feasibility of an owner-move in.

Neither option is bad and they both have tradeoffs, happy to talk about it further in person if you want as I live in East Mesa. 

I like Naples but the value on the east coast (e.g.

Here is a FB group focused on REI in East Texas: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1431671020298957/And another: https://www.facebook.com/groups/657300777664568/And here is a comprehensive list of meetups throughout Texas: https://reiclub.com/real-estate-clubs/texas/

I own 2 rentals fairly close to there just a little bit north on Georgia and on the east side. 

A lot of out-of-state investors from the east and west coast are investing here due to the crazy growth over the last 3-5 years.

I grew up on the east side of the town with a well versed knowledge of the neighborhood.