For example, if you are living there you wouldn't pay management fees unless you travel for work more than 50% of the time. 

That was when I traveled and spoke to REIA groups.

You’re already there so it’s not like you need to travel.

Listening to the courses and traveling to the venues he had in Dallas and Orlando helped me more so than my wife with my real estate knowledge, and I say me more so than my wife, because she introduced me to real estate when we began dating in 1999.

I don’t know that there is a defined policy stating how frequently you have to physically occupy the property or how many nights you ha e to sleep there - maybe you like to go camping a lot, or maybe you travel for work, but you do have to call the place home for a while...

We both live in different geographies and its a pain point for either of us to travel to a different location all the time when we encounter a deal we are interested in.

That, is if you have to travel to those cities often and can get reimbursed for your travel expenses and make time to visit your investments. 

Since you live in the northeast, you might want to consider an experienced Turnkey company that would keep your travel expense down while earning some money every month.Unless you have friends or family in the subject area that will be willing to help you, that may be the way to go and not too risky. 

I welcome any advice, as only a foolish man refuses wisdom from someone who has already traveled down the road I want to be on.

One is with Turnkey properties that do the purchasing, the renovations, and the managing and they can be trustworthy and reduce your travel expenses.