This doesn't mean you should because out of state investing for a newbie is difficult and if you listen to the wrong people can really burn a whole in your pocket.That being said, if I were you, I would likely diversify my assets.

but selling a trophy asset in a great area and then dumping the proceeds into money pits just because of paper math... would not be my step 1.hope this helps

Identifying these trends and targeting high-demand areas can yield solid returns.Long-Term Stability: Real estate has historically been a stable, appreciating asset class.

She was right, I needed to stop cheaping out on my biggest asset, my people.

But, it’s not a business because even if successful, you don’t own the underlying asset, so unless you grow very large you have nothing to sell.  

Where is vacancy, maintenance/cap ex, asset protection, PM (include it even if self managing as you deserve to be compensated for your efforts), utilities, misc.  

Even if it is slightly less cash flow, you now have a second appreciating asset.

I'm passionate about real estate and how utilizing this asset class can enable me to build generational wealth and retire early.

I'm an asset-based (hard money) lender from Atlanta with an extensive 15-yr background in residential and commercial real estate looking to learn more from the BP community and how I can help those that need investment financing. 

This is a "foot in the door" asset type!