I use every chance I get to look at deals and educate myself on the daily(books,podcasts,blogs,etc.).

@Kyle Shook- Checking your profile, I would suggest to spend more time on training and education.

We network and educate.

Good to know before we make any moves, so appreciate you educating me! 

Learn the difference between a good PM and a bad one, try to interview at least three, and then make an educated decision.

I have been wanting to get into real estate investing for a while but i didnt want to pull the trigger on any properties or deals until I felt decently educated, so I have been reading, listening, and studying as much as I can in the past year or so and bigger pockets has been a godsend.

Learn the difference between a good PM and a bad one, try to interview at least three, and then make an educated decision.

My thinking now is, why take advantage of just one home paid for when we could leverage that paid for home and buy more rental property?

Per your questions on other threads too, you might borrow against (say, 75% of) your equity.The trick is: buying properties that will both: keep going up in value, and cash flow positively for you, even when leveraged at 75% of their value.

He self-manages them but after being burned once, he has been strict with his rental criteria so tenants have typically been highly educated, and responsible.