You should definitely learn all aspects of your business first so you know exactly how you want things done so when the time comes you can teach others.

I think a lot of people focus on the "making money" aspect of buying real estate, but risk mitigation is just as important.

I don’t seem to get the planning, and strategizing I’m looking for specific to my needs, which I was under the assumption every professional provides.

If it wasn't for the liability aspect, I probably wouldn't even most of the properties.

Although I feel that comparing using money to overly invest in a primary residence is quite different than strategically placing the money in a real estate investment.  

The challenge was learning to be knowledgeable, coachable, and intentional in every aspect of any deal.

To answer your question, I guess I was just assuming that for a lender in Utah to lend on a property out of state, using that property as collateral, that they would have to be licensed to do so in the state where the property is located.I'm new to the lending aspect, hence why I'm looking for referrals from investors on lenders that are investor friendly that they've used in the past.

Plus, the costs of moving and closing costs, of course.Not sure what your plan is for financing, but that is one of the aspects that is overlooked. 

This will help you learn the bookkeeping aspect.

Obviously given my experience i'm biased, but another aspect I don't like about NYC is the ROI is often very depressed. 4-5% is a good return for your average turn key investment locally, wherein most other places in the US will exceed a minimum of 8%.