I planned to purchase a home first, settle in, and look for a job closer if commuting is too much work. 

Further, the outside buyers are moving here, not necessarily owning from a distance.

It's not a lot of fun to manage a rental from that distance.3.

@Braeden Warg Distance targets different types of people.

Hi Wayne, since you're investing out-of-state, my advice for you is to read this book “Long-Distance Real Estate Investing: How to Buy, Rehab, and Manage Out-of-State Rental Properties” - I found it to be very helpful when I got started investing 2.5 years ago.

At the time, I was married, thinking we’d have more kids, and maybe move my dad in as he ages.Well since then, I’ve gotten divorced, decided I’m one and done on kids, and switched jobs to have a longer commute.

Since you want to invest in another state, I highly recommend you read "Long-Distance Real Estate Investing" by David Greene.1.

Do any of you have long-distance properties that you manage yourself? 

I would binge an hour worth of episodes on my commutes to work while I was still a nurse.

I recommend you read "Long-Distance Real Estate Investing" by David Greene and consider investing in a different market.