My current salary supports my family comfortably (given that we live well below our means).

ARMs must just be what your local banks are comfortable with.

I would place MUCH more emphasis on connecting with the right team than on actually visiting and getting comfortable the physical location of the market. 

I am new to RE and would like to hear from seasoned members who have either been in this shoe or who are well versed with this situation. 

Do NOT buy more house than you can comfortably buy for the sake of potential future revenue.    

Use less of that and either get the seller to buy down your interest rate or you can do it and have a comfortable mortgage payment and still plenty left for your emergency fund.

The more comfortable you need to live, the worse the numbers will be. 

Homebuyers and renters can comfortably move all year.

I’ve grown professionally, confronted fears, and stepped out of my comfort zone in ways I never expected.

If your property is up to par you won't really have many maintenance calls except minor stuff such as plumbing clogs which is more likely to happen and requests to turn the AC up or down which you can do on your phone but other than that pretty hands off.Vacancy depends on location and your Padsplit property score the more comfortable you make your property (mini fridges, tv's, outdoor area) the lower your vacancy rate but you can expect about 10% vacancy factor in a Padsplit friendly area (centrally located, easy access to public transportation).