But, that was only enough to get me to the level of "beginner".

You are paying for an agent's performance, reputation, and ultimately to get you the highest price without wasting anyones time.

These are good working class rental areas that can perform very well.

In the near future id like to move out and purchase another similar property but I'm trying to maximize my income and property performance before hand to give myself the best chance at qualifying for a fha loan 3.5% down.

I learned that there is a company in Austin TX named Homemade that performs this service but there is no information on what they charge and what their ageement looks like.

I always steer clear of Angie's List, Yelp, BP Vendor, Dave Ramsey Select Vendors, or any other service that charges the vendor for membership and then promotes the list to the public as if trust, excellence, and performance have ANYTHING to do with the list selection. 

As a beginner, you can learn a lot from your uncle with a few rentals in another state or a co-worker who's on their second house hack.

You will want to perform a proper dry out of all materials and replace as needed, treat the area and have the lid put back together of the downstairs unit.

Are out-of-state investment properties recommended for a complete beginner to start with or too risky?

Not to mention, they are not legally able to perform any of the duties or services they accept payments for.