I am thinking a 10-15 unit building.

There are 39 states where no license is required to do business purpose, DSCR, P&L, SBA, commercial, self storage, etc type of loan products.

We live in San Diego so would be long-distance, TBD if we self-manage or enlist a PM. 

Although in the last couple deals most have come out as 506C deals where only accredited investors are allowed, there are still 506B syndications where you can be a sophisticated investor (self proclaimed) so you don't have to be accredited.

If a property needs too much work upfront, it may not be the best first investment.4.Factor in property management costs—even if you self-manage.

If the process is smooth and they are managing well, continue transferring units until the transition is complete.

Now I've sold all my properties in 4 states and of the remaining I self manage in 2 states and have a large property management firm in the other 2 states. 

I don't think 5+ units gets you to where you want to go. 

Managing self-employment income requires tracking eligible deductions like business expenses, home office use, and retirement contributions.

A lot of forum members are experts in their respective fields related to real estate investing, whether that is real estate sales, wholesaling, flipping, buy and hold investing, lending, self-directed IRA and Solo 401k investing, or tax and legal guidance.There are some pretty nice discounts on many products and services offered as Perks to BP members that you might want to check out: https://www.biggerpockets.com/perks/proIf you haven’t been to it already, the Bigger Pockets blog features links to their fantastic podcast and many great articles: https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/The site has quite a few tools that can be helpful for new members.