If OOS, i wouldn't rule out using an agent to buy homes needing cosmetics.

Maximize tenant rent by adopting dynamic pricing; reduce tenant turnover by upgrading, immediate respond to requests, retraining personnel to be tenant responsive and tenant friendly; eliminate undesirable tenants; upgrade property physically and cosmetically; convert from utilities paid to separately metered; evaluate prices paid for insurance, taxes, garbage, water, security, landscaping.  

If it's mostly cosmetic updates or 1-call trades (call a roofer to fix the roof, call a floor guy to finish the floors), then I would say a GC can't add much value over a handyman and the return on your own efforts.  

Most of the places we're looking at are cosmetic but a few would be complete gut jobs. 

When you are ready to move out (assuming you haven't already), look for a multi family that needs some cosmetic work that you can house hack.

Purchase price: $243,000 Cash invested: $35,000 Single-family home that my wife and I fixed up (mostly cosmetically) while we lived there.

Townhome needed all cosmetics on the main floor.

Should I consider a single family home and eat the cost of owning it for a year while I fix it cosmetically and then rent it out when I move out?

Hoping that will get us a small multifamily in a relatively good neighborhood that needs some light repair/ cosmetic work! 

@Juan David Maldonado I bought a 3/1 for $99,500 in 2020 that needed “cosmetic repairs”.