If you have time to complete projects in your home, practice those skills and keep a log of how much time and cost everything was.  

Separate accounts make tax time easier, showing you as a skilled investor.

I am hoping to like many others build up a good retirement through real estate and are looking for opportunities to learn good practices, soft skills and gain confidence and build repeatable systems that can scale. 

You may not be able to pull out your money on the refinance, but it will enable you to learn the skills needed to do a BRRRR with hard money later on in your career.

They are two distinct skill sets.Property managers focus on customer experience, while asset managers are fiduciaries to the investors. 

Flipping and BRRR are similar and require a similar skill set.   

You will need technical skills and software to manage from afar, as if you're local.

Security, keep your resume updated, keep your sense of employment work ethic and skills or associated licenses, certifications in case you want or need to go back into the job market.

What skill sets and experiences have you drawn from? 

Some lawyers may charge that much, but there is nothing that time or skill intensive to create.