If you can't keep control of your personal finances, you are highly unlikely to succeed in real estate investing.

I have to do a little more due diligence before I feel comfortable with sending them any of my personal info.

In order to undertake a new build I would have to personally know the builder and be comfortable with his work.

I think that a quality agent that truly understands how to run numbers and analyze deals to lead you in a good direction is what you need to get over the final hurdle. 

Hey David, I would say this largely depends on how many units you have, the age of the building, and the quality of the building/neighborhood. 

If you have cash, know that 99% of wholesalers will have low repair values and high ARVs that don't match the actual data or upkeep of the house.Also, ask if this is being daisy-chained, meaning are there other wholesalers or investors in the line between the person offering you the deal and the seller.

I personally would approach this with a self assessment.

I have worked to get mine down as much as possible without sacrificing quality!

like - your own market. or a market a couple hours away that you can spend some time in person in. or where you went to college. or where you like to vacation.

Local and state laws are changing on the daily so I think that the right Property Manager really helps with that but hiring a PM or self managing is always a personal call.