I live on the East Coast and I too am an out of state investor primarily since Long Island is a particularly expensive area as a whole to invest in.  I

But once you move in, I don't think you'll be able to ever refinance the thing.

thanksBill In theory there shouldn't be any entry points in the house for mice to get in, ie you could live next door to a mouse breeding farm and there shouldn't be any inside your house.

@Shawn ParshOne of the best things about the time we live in is how much information is available to us to learn from.

If you go through RTR, I would ask to see the employment and rental history of potential tenants so you can weigh in. I

Another company I'd be interested in is Smartland in Ohio I think. 

One area I recognize I’m lacking in is networking.

Thanks@Mitch Davidson I appreciate you looping me in! I

That has gone smoothly with the exception of one unit that I have my disabled brother living in. I

A 1031 Exchange is a real estate transaction that takes advantage of a Federal tax law, so the state you do it in is of no consequence.