Until then, I'll be trying to absorb everything I can to fine tune my approach and prepare for managing REI business post-acquisition.

We manage STR, reach out to me and I will give you Shannon’s contact info.

The place where you can add value with no money is a situation like: you find project A, it is a 120k purchase and it should need 80k rehab but you can get rehab done for 65k cause you can do some of the work and you know how to save on materials and you can manage the rehab. 

Interview the team rehabbing and managing the home on your behalf.

I do property management only that saves 10% and can be done while managing a W2 job.  

After 6 months I have two properties and since day 1 they have been rented.However, making some numbers and organizing the 2025 budget I am not sure what to think about my first step on this journey.The rent covers the mortgages (10 year loan both) however I have to take out of my pocket some % to cover HOA and management fee.

Has anyone purchased from the Peak Group and used them for property management? 

There are also online platforms that will handle managing security deposit compliance, refunds, etc. like rentable.com

I have many questions about this topic - moving from self-managed to PM - I'll post something separately on this topic. 

If the negative cash flow is manageable and the appreciation potential is strong, it could be a smart move.On the other hand, investing out of state allows you to enter more affordable markets with strong, steady returns, helping you to build a diverse portfolio over time.