Have you made any progress or are you still doing the research. 

Taking the time to thoroughly evaluate your options and consult with professionals will help you make the best decision for your situation.

We are evaluating a purchase of ~30k square feet of warehouse space next to a new Amazon distribution center.

Multiple paths of progress evident3.

Repair leak (in progress, finished by the end of next week.

Running an STR is infinitely easier when you live close by, and progressively harder with distance.

Investing in real estate is a multifaceted journey that demands learning, exploration, financial readiness, property evaluation, and risk control.

If you want some criteria to pay attention to I would suggest to use your "I'd be down to live/move here" list as a base and then evaluate the market metrics to see if it's a strong investment opportunity.

He did give me an idea of how the area has progressed over the years in which he did say it has been slow and somewhat steady progression when it comes to improving the neighborhood.

After doing much more research and hearing the opinions of other professionals, I've concluded that it's best to utilize them for smaller deals, refinance to pay them back in full so I can take over full ownership, and continue to progress from there.