I recommend you read "Long-Distance Real Estate Investing" by David Greene.

With a budget of $300K-$400K, you could potentially find single-family homes or small multi-units in those areas.I'd recommend researching rental demand near universities like Duke or NC State or even checking out neighborhoods with strong job growth near tech hubs.

If you need to stay in DC for employment than I would recommend house hacking something, although I'm not sure how far 50k will take you there.

Recommendation on how to find a honest,  agent in the Cleveland,Ohio area. 

If there is not enough STRs in the market you are in then you have to adjust business practices.

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

At the current scenario, without knowing anything about you or your properties I will recommend either to look at a loan from your assets using DSCR loan.

Hi @Brian WongI can provide some ADU contractor recommendations in Los Angeles if you want to DM me. 

I recommend you make a video of you entering the unit and documenting exactly how it is found.

Quote from @Mikal Toliver: It’s an exciting time go learn, understand, and practice real estate estate investing.