Hi Jose, yes I specialize in STR/MTR management, and I have a vast network on military renters & I work with placement agents!

This is a great strategy to use for beginners who want to get a foot in the door of investing while also learning crucial skills just as tenant management. 

Only an investment team can provide the crucial local knowledge you need.Moreover, you'll need various resources to find, validate, inspect, renovate, and manage a property.

This will be my first rental property and will be remotely managed.

Networking with other investors, agents, and property managers led to off-market opportunities that I wouldn’t have found on my own.

So it was managing a risk rather than for profit.I’ll defer to others on mortgage paydown versus investing, other than to say that you may want to consider how far towards your next house / investment property deposit you are with the money instead of recast / investing.James 

Quote from @Casi Rice: Marketing idea: find 1-2 trusted property management partners.

If you're investing in real estate out of your home state don't you have, at minimum, a Realtor, Contractor, Property Manager, Lawyer, etc. in the state where you're looking to create a local presence?

I'm a property manager that manages along the Front Range from Fort Collins down to Colorado Springs and everywhere in between.

I think if you can juggle managing the property on your own and taking care of your business this seems like a no brainer but I hope you don't get caught in a rut because it doesn't seem like it's working or something else... it's a marathon, not a sprint!