Now that I believe I have value to offer, I plan to become more active in the forums, aiming to assist those who helped me and support newcomers who are embarking on similar paths.Cheers BP!

A state like Nevada are closer and offer tax benefits over CA. 

Every system you try will have flaws, or you may salivate over a feature that appears in other software.Some familiar names are mentioned frequently: Stessa, Apartments.com, RentRedi, TenantCloud, Innago, RentManager, Avail, Rentec Direct, Doorloop, etc.I recommend conducting thorough research on each app online to understand their offerings, pricing, etc.

I understand cash offers give you an advantage in any market - but is there any specific reason it's more difficult buying out of state without being a cash buyer?

I want to offer her $350,000 for the condo (its a fair price for it), 5% down payment ($17,500) and pay her monthly $2,000 for 3 years, after which I would refinance and pay her out.

IF the property is different - then maybe the program  being offered is the only one thats  avaiable 

Generally the listing realtor won't show your offer favourably with a vtb.I personally found the best owner financing comes from motivated vendors, in the private market. 

If you already manage your 4 properties, you can build on those systems you already have in place and offer your services to other landlords and investors.

A pure soul might even offer them a market loan product in second position personally. - Let them list the property and make an offer in the context of the market. 

I’m not offering legal advice so do your diligence.