I’m temped to order an appraisal this month, or does that seem like over kill and do you recommend I sit back and trust the real estate process?

However, i recommend newbies start in or close to their home market.  

I’d also recommend @Whitney Sewell's podcast The Real Estate Syndication Show, and other resources like the Joe Fairless podcast.

After assembling a lot of bed frames, I prefer the Zinus brand, and I would recommend contract grade furniture.Don't forget to sign up for pest control and both a renter's and landlord policy on your insurance.Hi Miguel - I’m also looking at the midtown  Sacramento area for multifamily…what is “contract grade” furniture please ?

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

I would recommend tuning into Straight Up Chicago Investor Podcast and going to local meetups. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on whether this approach makes sense or if there are other strategies you’d recommend to optimize profitability.Thanks in advance for your advice! 

Quote from @Emily Gowen: I only recommend investors sell when they can move the money to a better-performing investment or when the sale moves them closer to a specific goal.

Highly recommend @Lien Vuong she commented below and has helped a lot of our clients start of expand their investment property portfolio. 

If you’re leaning toward an LLC, I can recommend some local options to help set it up.