I'm a 2x house hacker here in LA and an out of state investor.

I’d stick to Franklin, Clayton, Westminster, hayesville, Bryson city

West Valley cities like Buckeye and Avondale, East Valley spots like Apache Junction and Mesa, or growing areas like Casa Grande and Maricopa are worth exploring.

That's wonderful.Your state requires 72 hours of Real Estate education. 

So, the first question they usually ask a PMC is about fees - instead of asking about services and HOW those services are executed.EXAMPLE: PMC states they will handle tenant screening – what does that specifically mean?

Follow all safety requirements your Insurance Company plus city and county require.This usually includes childproof access and alarms.

If Ohio is like most states, this is a complicated task, not best left to chance. 

Never pay an upfront fee.You didn’t mention your state but understand that with little exception, an NMLS registration is only required for consumer-purpose loans.

Eventually I went to investment property (local purchase) and vacation home (2 out of state purchases).

Since Texas is a tax deed state, you gain ownership at auction, but the previous owner has 6 months to 2 years to redeem it by paying your bid plus 25% interest (in year one).