I've self managed in the past but managing other people's properties is new.

@Jonathan Vinas Operating a self-managed STR in North NJ or the Catskills is feasible with careful planning.

We currently have 10 single family properties in the best school districts and we self manage.

I do see lots of self storage and warehouses going up, so my default assumption would be that the old shopping malls do NOT trade for less than build cost, but it's possible that the marketplace is not perfectly efficient. 

So I self-financed the first draw, thinking that it would help move the project along, but that proved to be a big mistake because Delta stopped responding to me after that. 

I would be self managing the property because I know the area well, have local connections to help out if in a pickle, and could get there in a day drive if need be. 

I am a self employed residential general contractor.

I use Stessa to self manage 8 properties.

.- Background: Took some real estate classes before but really a lot of self learning on creative financing - Current Goal:To close my first wholesale deal within the next few months by learning from seasoned investors and applying proven strategies.I'm here to absorb as much knowledge as possible, so if you have any tips or resources, I’m all ears!

There are a lot of ways to crash and burn, so increasing the odds of succeeding long term should be your highest priority. you can always sell your local assets once you're comfortable managing rentals and ready for a market that better-suits your criteria. btw, kudos for being self-aware of your limitations.