I am thinking about investing a 3b2.5b SFH in areas such as Oceanside, San Marcos, or Chula Vista which are relatively less pricier comparing with 92130 or 92129 (where I am living now).

.- Self managing STR can increase the return compared to LTR if you do a good job.  

A cash-out refi could result in less tappable equity and potentially higher rates compared to a buyout.In our experience working with numerous clients going through a divorce, most have had to pursue a buyout or sell the home, with very few able to successfully assume the loan.

.- Median Prices: Affordable compared to larger metros.Long-Distance Real Estate InvestingInvesting in properties in the Midwest while living in Los Angeles is feasible with modern technology.

It does put the buyers agent in some awkward positions though when they make an offer and then we counter removing or drastically reducing the commish.. the Buyers cant understand why their agent wont work for 5 to 10k.. compared to 15 to 20k on the what used to be normal 3% buyers side..

We recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.

Some brokers/lenders do this intentionally to give false appearances when trying to compete - "See, look how much lower my cash to close is compared to that guy."

Now comparing a C class home with a B class of course the C class will have a higher repair factor but that is across the board no matter who the tenant is.

I'm considering two options for my property and would appreciate some advice:Cash-Out Refinance and Then Sell: Cash-out refinance to access some of the equity, then sell the property to get the remaining equity.Sell the Property Directly: Skip the refinance and sell the property outright.My main concerns are:Fees: Are there more fees involved with doing a cash-out refi and then selling compared to just selling directly?

You could test the waters with one or two rehabs, see how they perform, and then decide if a full transition makes sense.Leverage Your Skills:With your contracting experience, you can save significantly on rehab costs and add value quickly, which might give you a better return on investment compared to the time and effort spent growing the IT business further.Final Thoughts:Ultimately, it might come down to where your passion lies.