If you are looking for ROI I would suggest South Florida or Tampa area. 

My suggestion would be to contact a couple of Independent Agents (they handle multiple insurance companies) that write in GA and get quotes. 

Would you suggest hiring a property manager or run it myself ?

I'm open to any insights or suggestions on how to structure this project in a manner that benefits both parties.

When you break down the HOA fees vs a expenses on a single family home, you typically see comparable numbers with the exception of amenities maintenance, which as you have already suggested, can drive up income & demand. 

You mentioned a wide variety of interests - so my suggestion is to focus on one or two that really resonate with you and dive in.

Very simple open concept. 

It is suggested to have a strong Pre Approval lender and resources to tour the property as close to listing date as possible. 

I might even suggest just putting 5% down so you have more money when you move to another state. 

We as a firm have investors working with us who have rental properties all over the US big and small.Finding a real estate-focused tax professional and one who can help with advisory and grow with you would be my suggestion to focus your efforts on finding.