I informed them that their contract states they are expected to pay up until the end of the agreement regardless of living their or not. 

How much depends on what you do for a living.

I currently live in WA state and invest out of state for buy and holds.

In my experience, a large percentage of them are fully functional adults that refuse to take personal responsibility for their lives, which is why they are receiving free rent from taxpayers instead of working for a living.

@Isaac TerryIn terms of it being worthwhile, just like most other markets out of state if the barrier or entry is too high where you live, the landlord laws are not favorable where you live, and you are looking for positive cashflow then Cleveland can be a good option.

House Hacking using the VA loan to live on one side while renting the other is great.2.

Live off of equity as you sell or live off cashflow.

Having a long-term rental while living abroad is do-able.Flipping houses while abroad, in my opinion, more difficult, especially if its your first go around with real estate.I would recommend taking a flight and staying in the area for a week and inspect the neighborhoods and make connections.You can reach out to @Elenis Camargo who has a PM company in Jacksonville.Best of luck though.

They can introduce you to all the local players you will need like property managers and lenders.Over time, increase your own personal knowledge and development with books, podcasts, and conferences on the topic.But finding a commercial real estate broker with a teacher's heart will go a long way to getting you started.To your success!

Smaller SFH = less maintenance , there are lots of single looking for a place to live .