I live in Lebanon, IL and this property is also in Saint Clair County in Belleville.I plan on managing this at first, but want to build a proper amount into my budget.What would you recommend for budgeting for in terms of good property management in this area?

The transition of planning to executing has been a mess though.

You may not feel the need when you own just 1-2 properties, but it may be more relevant if you plan to expand. 

I’d love to hear more about your goals and how you’re planning to apply your expertise to real estate!

Look for properties with value-add potential, plan renovations carefully, and use tools like the BiggerPockets Rental Property Calculator to analyze deals.

I only plan to manage these two from out of state until we're able to refinance our second home as we're losing money on this particular house for rent as we bought this home last year. 

.- Managing Multiple Projects Simultaneously: Handling numerous properties at different renovation stages requires effective project tracking, milestone-based contractor payments, and solid contingency plans to navigate potential delays.- Technology & Automation: Utilizing project management software, such as Buildertrend or Monday.com, enables real-time tracking of budgets, schedules, and contractor communications.

I had planned to slowly build an investment portfolio on my own.

There were platinum and non-platinum plans. 

The first thing I ask is why am I Buying the property.I always look at the exit strategy first, is it going to be a rental, a lease option sell, am I planning on living in it.