If you engage with Pad Split and you're out of state, you'll probably want to hire a PM as well.

It is important that you hire professionals who have experience working with foreign investors.

I am trying to make a decision on whether to hire Anderson or not.  

Thanks to COVID, for a couple of years, you can actually make enough money to be cash flow positive even if you hire a property manager AND have mortgage payments. 

I would like to do the renovation work myself and hire skilled tradespeople when needed. 

If managing it yourself feels unsustainable in the long run, hiring a good property manager could give you more peace of mind.Since a 1031 exchange or like-kind replacement doesn’t seem to be a good fit for your current situation, you could consider a HELOC if you need to tap into the equity for other investments without selling the property, although rates are high so this would eat up your cash flow.

Hiring a property management company with experience in the markets you're considering can be a game-changer.Have you identified which markets you want to invest in?

@Hedman Maximus too many investors worry about DIY pennies, while losing dollars - which it seems you may be doing.Why can't you hire a PMC to handle the properties for you?

I hired a surveyor,  engineer and ran through the process with the city myself. 

Quote from @Michael Smythe: @Carlos Ptriawan doubt many would hire you based upon exactly what you've proposed!