Let's say the AC or Heat goes out in 60 days, do you have funds to cover that?

As for the areas to target, my goal in getting our feet wet as real estate investors--and since we plan to be living in Sac--is to find a property we can live in while renting out one or more units to help cover our housing expenses, which we can then hold and continue to rent out when we move.

My $2000 also covers stuff that inevitably break under normal use - I had to replace a washer $700, a stove $600, a microwave $100, and a grill $400, all  within last 2 years, and paid close to $1000 for various service calls by electricians and HVAC techs and pest control. 

Insurance would cover it, I would pay the deductible, and no assets would be lost.If you are in an area like San Diego where people are more likely to sue, a judge is more likely to find you guilty, and the payout is expected to be higher, you may consider an umbrella insurance policy.

It can also help cover HELOC payments if you find a property with solid equity potential.

You can use this property to hedge any others that you add that may only cover themselves, or require supplement until they are paid off.HOWEVER, if you have decided that your goal is to use Real Estate as a stepping stone to build wealth by upgrading the property you hold each time (condo to house, house to 4-plex, 4-plex to 8 unit, etc) then I think you are right to sell now while you think the property is at the top of it's appreciation.It will be hard for anyone on BP to tell you what to do as we don't know your goal.You are right. 

The carpets covering the stairs are matted down, stained, and especially smelly.

Sorry for the tough love, but not buying the above.You & your wife's salaries should cover your expenses, while the income from your remodeling gigs should be saved.Recommend you review EVERY dollar you made and what you spent it on in 2024.

We don’t know any PMCs to recommend in the area mentioned, but since selecting the wrong PMC is usually more harmful than selecting a bad tenant, you might want to read our series about “How to Screen a PMC Better than a Tenant”:https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91877-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-1-services-and-processesWe recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.

Split the $20 to buy yourself lunch and dinnerIf you are on the road, daily per-diem should cover a lot of your day to date living costs.If they send you on the road, you can potentially airbnb your house.Best of luck!