If the syndication is great and it's truly a singular portal for communication, I may be able to give up some of the advantages of lease creation/management on Avail. 

I'm always the bad guy, but I'll do it so they won't take advantage of my mother. 

These projects are all in QOZ's and one of my investors was able to take advantage of that and we set up a QOF for two of the buildings for them.

While selling in Rochester and investing in states closer to Chicago would still require finding a reliable PM and likely making improvements, the advantage is that these new investments would be in a market that I can occasionally drive to.

If you're looking to invest long term and build a portfolio, I'd recommend going with a 2-4 unit and take advantage of the VA financing.

Regarding the duplex near your home, being in a good school district and a peaceful neighborhood are big advantages. 

In my opinion, the best place to start is the place where you can create a competitive advantage...having boots on the ground is absolutely imperative!   

I have a bit of an advantage that I want to capitalize on.

My experience is that mobiles/manufactured homes fall into three categories, a. still on wheels treated as a vehicle and are are on rented spaces b. wheels removed, the unit is put on a foundation and skirted, on rented space c. wheels removed, the unit is put on a foundation and skirted on owned land and treated as permanent, which qualifies for a mortgage.

I have been trying to also take advantage of the Fannie Mae 5% down-payment option if possible too.