Class A properties can almost auto-run themselves, but Class C/D properties can take a LOT of time.At one point I was self-managing 25 Class A & B properties and could do it despite working 60 hours a week at my day job.

I'm extremely confident that buyers will pay WAY MORE than $40k over similar SFR prices for a property with two units that offsets their mortgage substantially.  

I've also heard about rolling over some money into a self directed IRA to invest in real estate, but that doesn't really solve my problem. 

Since they are responsible for maintaining the relationship with you after the transaction closes, this approach adds an extra layer of confidence and security to your investment.If you can't find an investor agent that you like or trust that is also a Property Manager or works under a brokerage that has a Property Management Division, I would ask the agent if they recommend a Property Management Company.

We currently have 10 single family properties in the best school districts and we self manage.

Many youtube videos on the concept will help spell it out for you and give you confidence to proceed. 

I do see lots of self storage and warehouses going up, so my default assumption would be that the old shopping malls do NOT trade for less than build cost, but it's possible that the marketplace is not perfectly efficient. 

When I was self managing, I turned over units in days rather than weeks/months and had reasonable contractors. 

What I would tell you is that as we built our portfolio we continued working our full time corporate (cubicle) jobs until we had 20 units (self-managing them along the way).

Had an issue with trying to self-permit a build a few years back that was an HPR but had an "A" and "B" designation.