That will help you diversify and also give you optionality when head winds come.  

There North Carolina purchase leaves me scratching my head. 

I will definitely reach out to you and when my family and I head up there to scout the area before we move.

If we were heading for a crash, prices wouldn’t be holding steady like that.Now, let me tell you from my own experience—I own 32 properties, and here’s how things have played out:15 have dropped about 20% in value (mostly in areas where demand cooled off).10 have stayed flat, meaning no loss or gain.7 have actually gone up in price, which proves that not everything is crashing—some pockets are still appreciating.And I don’t touch condos.

I would rent yourself because; you are local and you know the area well.PM's are great for out of state investors or investors with large portfolios who have very limited time and resourcesUnfortunately, You nailed it on the head with "managing the manager..."

The Alabama song “I’m in a hurry” would play in my head. 

Having it solid in a spreadsheet instead of in your head or on notebook paper and playing with the numbers for the repair budget isn't wrong.

No way I'll have taxes hanging over my head into October just because they're too busy with others to file on time. 

My broker says more hikes to come.Building codes are getting much stricter and I suspect heading your way.

A more stable rate environment could ease the “lock-in effect” and encourage more existing homes to hit the market.As we head into 2025, I’ll be watching these trends closely.