I qualify for up to 850k at the absolute MAX and I am able to pick up a 4 bed 2 bath in the San Gabriel Valley.

I am way to old school to try any of this  LOL.. of course I get 100% of my business by referral so I have no need to market anything and being old school I pick up the phone and talk to my investors in person ..

Limited appreciation, old housing stock in need of major capex, population decline in many markets...Can you pick a market that's a couple hours away so the price point is lower, but you can be in-person and hands-on?

You can ask to meet up for coffee or something and pick their brain about the market.Maybe use here to ask for book recommendations. 

Appfolio is a great property management app, and pretty easy to pick up on. 

However, when picking a market it is important to choose one that isn't totally dead in the slow months.

As the saying goes, "in a gold rush, be the guy selling picks and shovels".

Pick one forum where your question makes the most sense.

First of all, you picked a great PM with WHM - Ed has been running a very good business for a long time! 

I live in MN and fully trusted my original realtor when he said it was a great area and I bought right after the hurricane so every corner had garbage and debris waiting for city pick up, now a year removed, it's much clearer that my neighbors are not interested in cleaning up their properties as other areas are now.