Most people are happy just to not take a loss each month. 

Here are additional comments:1) Buying out of state removes any local knowledge you have from assisting in your success, including knowing areas, people and costs. - We always recommend buying your first rental locally if possible and DIY managing to learn as much as possible before investing OOS.2) Lots of crooks and incompetents in the PMC world:( They both cost you money.- As already stated, you'll have a small portfolio.

I know some people feel like they need to invest in a course to hold themselves accountable or feel like they are doing something.

You will be sick, go crazy and not get it all done and your time will be wasted. 

It’s a good market, numbers work well, and most important, find the right people. 

If I pay it off, I could maximize cash flow earlier, reducing financial stress and allowing me to focus on other ventures or simply enjoy life more.On the other hand, I know some people advocate for keeping cheap debt and using the extra cash to invest elsewhere for potentially higher returns.Why I’m leaning toward paying it off:Security: No debt = peace of mind.Financial freedom earlier: A fully paid-off rental would give me a significant monthly cash flow?

But some (Dave Ramsey) people would rather have just a few paid off properties making just a little cash flow.

Without going into too many details about the property, I'm interested in connecting with people who deal with off market listings and investors in this geographic area. 

Buy and Hold investing is a great avenue to begin with as most people live their lives off of residual income. 

Also, not sure what relationship you have established with your property manager but typically people hire managers to take care of this part and be tenant-facing.