@Ming Li HerreraRecommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

"Cross sector".

For example, I can get up-to-date pictures of a property (with time stamp on it) for as low as 10$ in 24 hours, most of the time it is more expensive to grab your car and go there in person if you also count your time invested. there is a great book called "long-distance real estate investing" by David Green (you can find it in BP book store or on Amazon) which goes over a lot of those services and find solutions to long distancing investing.

For me I use; 2nd lien on target property or cross collateral property deed of trustJV agreementPromissory NotePersonal GuaranteeMay be over kill, but I am fine with it.Also if you ever foreclose on a property that has enough equity to cover your loan I assume the 1st lien gets paid and then the rest would go to the 2nd position or is that not correct?

If this is outside your budget, then I would suggest you look toward the Plainfields (North, South, and Plainfield) and west (Dunellen, Middlesex, Green Brook) which are on the Raritan Valley train line and are ~1hr to midtown by rail, with easy highway access to 78. 

@Jonathan Greene thanks.

But I also see the selling point of being “closer” to the beach area as mentioned by others.Anyways, we are considering going with the bigger/cheaper house for the first invest, fingers crossed!

It contains more detailed information on investing insights, analytics, and, particularly, investing in Las Vegas.Before proceeding, note that the charts only include properties that fit the following criteria unless stated otherwise.Type: Single-familyConfiguration: 1,000 SF to 3,000 SF, 2+ bedrooms, 2+ baths, 2+ garages, minimum lot size is 3,000 SF, one or two stories.Price range: $320,000 to $475,000Location: All zip codes marked in green below have one or more of our client’s investment properties (click to enlarge).Overall Las Vegas Real Estate Market InventoryThe chart below, provided by the MLS, includes all property types and price ranges.The inventory level continued its downward trajectory, significantly lower YoY.Rental Market TrendsThe charts below are only relevant to the property profile that we target.Rentals - Median $/SF by Month$/SF remained unchanged from March, now at the highest level in the last 13 months.

@Thomas SehonRecommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

Self-education through Bigger-pockets and found David Greene's Out of state investing book.