@Will Gebbie most of the mistakes an investor makes or anything that can go wrong with a rental property can happen whether the property is local or out of state.

Check out this article before connecting with any RE broker: https://www.biggerpockets.com/...The biggest mistake people make, is that they call up brokers when they aren't ready and sound like complete newbies.

Worst case scenario, if you are not comfortable doing this yourself, a good agent will happily help you out if you let them list the unit for you and pick up a tenant.

Or did I make the fatal mistake of continuing to pay even though I knew it was way to high?

I would keep the rentals there after you leave as 1031 exchanges must be done exactly right, one little mistake and you will owe a bunch of taxes. 

You may offer the worst tenant money to leave (keys for cash) so that you can rehab the unit while vacant.

In the worst case scenario with a ban, the property wouldn't cash flow that well (a few hundred negative).I am comfortable with that considering this scenario still cash flows better than most other housing arrangements I could afford in this market.

You can hire someone who lacks experience and can be trained, which may cost less but can lead to more mistakes along the way.

Thanks @Charles Carilloya eviction process it going to take time.so worst case I can still sell the property or any complexity there?

My 2 biggest pieces of advice... 1) If you want the fast track, get a mentor - but the RIGHT one...it's a crowded space and we definitely made a mistake selecting the wrong one the first time around (now we're with an amazing group and have closed over 400 doors in 2 years). 2) Don't fall into the trap of thinking you have to start small ...you don't.