Hiring the right team members is always challenging, as is keeping them (lots of turnover).

Also congrats on building your real estate portfolio while keeping others in mind, too much greed in this business sometimes!

There are great agencies out there that let you keep 100% commission and you may have a nominal monthly fee based on your commission.

Where they are taking the hit on the expense end by trying to keep the total sale price at a normal point.

I'd recommend keeping it in the bank until you have learned enough to make intelligent investment decisions.Personally, I would do the following:500,000 - Gold, Bitcoin - Always prudent to hedge your bets.1,000,000 - Cash.

You should keep a 10-20% margin per clean depending on the market. 

Other than rent issues, he keeps the house very clean and maintains the property decently. 

Your day job can keep providing your income for your lifestyle.

However, keep in mind the longer processing time and the need for seller cooperation during the acquisition process.

The disadvantage of living in NYC is that the prices of homes here are high.The advantage is that our salary is higher than other areas.I think you should consider to continue living in NYC and invest in out of state rentals.The only exception would be, if you can work remote and keep your NYC salary, then I would consider a house-hack elsewhere.