I see certain aspects of each that I like.

I was surprised to that you need a RE license to do property management but I guess the leasing aspect of it is the reason. 

I have stayed away from buying their properties because I am not familiar enough with the whole aspect of understanding which liens are or are not wiped out and I am not at a point to take the time to self educate myself. 

It is a good community to network and learn about all aspects of real-estate investing.

The above article is a helpful reminder to step away from the busyness and ultra speed multitasking to give your mind some time to think strategically.  

Unless you are very risk aversive, this is the smarter play.I did pay off my own personal property....... from a financial aspect, not necessarily the smartest choice, but the satisfaction and stability of not having that debt appealed to us...... no matter what happens in my life, I don't have a mortgage on my own house to pay each month.

My concern was more with the loan and didn't consider the tax aspect.

I think that painting it Neon yellow to fix your problem was a brilliant idea.Hi, yeah, thanks for the vote of confidence, I would have painted it hot pink with yellow polka dots but I time was of the essence and I went with the closest color that would go over the beige color of the house before I painted it, soooo the whole cost effective aspect thing was on my mind ;) however I did raise the  rent from the $600 to $800 which gave me an extra $2,400 dollars a year which paid for the new toilet ($70.00) and then some, I add a $50 yearly increase to my Sect 8 rental leases, this way the case worker who one must contact in order to implement an increase can reference the agreement and approve the $50.00 a month fee, in my experience the case workers don't like to give any rent increases if they are not in the original lease, a definite way to avoid a long drawn out battle of climbing the chain of command who really couldn't care less if you are the best landlord (not a slum lord) and discourage anyone who asks for an increase by forgotten return phone calls to outright indignant behavior, lies and so forth, Happy trails Brother 

It seems like both areas offer strong cash flows.I’m aware of the crime in both areas and the potential risks stemming from that.However from a rental aspect what blocks/areas, if any, attract the best tenant pool?

But to answer your question:"how do you position yourself to add another property...as it relates to delegating, processes, etc. " I recommend that you put the proper systems in place for every aspect of the business...