Brandon, ultimately you will do what you think is best for you but it's been my experience that selling a cashflow property that is producing positive cashflow before the 5 to 7 year mark will usually lose you money.

as of course the lure of 50 to 60k house that rents for 800 or so is what attracted him..

But as I plan to be less actively involved in property management due to wanting to relocate out of state, large apartment complexes are attractive to me as they justify a PM on site so I don't have to liquidate and move my portfolio.

That being said, I've looked at properties in places like Kansas City and Columbus and they look much more attractive, especially as a new investor who'd prefer to risk less.So my question to you is, if you were in my shoes starting out would you pay more and invest close to home in a pricier West Coast market, or build a "core four" team and invest OOS?

Petersburg (and the surrounding area - Clearwater, Dunedin, ect), & Ocala.Top 3: Kissimmee, Lakeland & OcalaThey are located near major cities and attractions (Kissimmee -> Orlando/Disney).What property types & strategies?

Every part of town has it's quirks like some parts you really need to check out the houses foundation/basement as there are heavier clay soils, some are full of meth heads, some at first blush may appear not too attractive but drive around and you'll find lots of older people still living there taking care of their yards, keeping everything up though the racists will say the houses aren't worth anything.   

Find an area that will attract travelers and buy a couple of STRs, then refi and buy more.

It can be true, but remember lower price just attracts customers who are cheaper and odds are good you end up in a lower margin business. 

Investor loans through Fannie Mae had skyrocketed since May when they decided to cap lender's investment percentage of loans produced.  4.1125% and 1.5 or so in points is not out of the realm of possibility. 

My initial goal is to have rentals that produce a combined $1500-$2000/month in cash flow after expenses.