I would hire for them for their expertise to guide me on what I do.

I'd first slow down and develop some sort of subject matter expertise.

Leveraging Bob's local market expertise, we secured the property for $30,000.

Leveraging Brittany's local market expertise, we secured the property for $200,000.

The small office is not stupid right.they now as yield goes higher for longer , risk/reward basis it's more advantageous to invest into debt/lending than equity.It's just math rather than trend. why in the world you one to invest to 11% equity if you could have do-nothing 9% debt lol

Leveraging Dale's local market expertise, we secured the property for $60,000.

If you can come out with $10,000 - $15,000 in cash, after-tax, in you bank account, BEYOND the amount that you will be putting down on the property (the 3.5% down PLUS $10K cushion), you are probably getting to the point where you can make a house-hack purchase where the risk/reward is in your favor. 

Keyrenter North Jersey opened this year, leveraging the proven processes, systems, technology, and infrastructure of the large organization, combined with the focus, support, customer service and local expertise of a small business.

By leveraging local expertise and technology, you can successfully manage and grow your out-of-state portfolio.Good luck!

It is part of the game as with any other potentially high-reward endeavor but it doesn't have to affect your well-being.That said, your vanguard account is a good reminder that there are other avenues to consider outside of RE.I'd recommend continuing to diversify by exploring other RE options.