Jack Bosch and a lot of the land flipper guys who teach it like to have their students buying in the high deserts and remote areas of the Western US  or in FLA like le High Acres etc. this is were cheap land is and land that gets traded constantly at tax sales.. the play for most of them is really simple.buy at tax sale or with direct mail.. for a few grand  re-market them for more and sell on terms and collect monthly payments.. 

They get the use, ownership, tax advantages, maintenance responsibilities, and you get the upside equity if it appreciates.

Is your DSCR ratio greater than 1-meaning are you cash flowing (according to the lender's criteria of mortgage, property taxes and insurance (and HOA) if applicable).

Taxes are almost always the largest selling expense you'll face and can very quickly kill your investment's efficiency if you don't manage them intentionally. 

I want to add the stability of real estate into my portfolio and patiently grow that investment and harvest the tax benefits of long-term investment.

Columbus & Raleigh-Durham are both great places to invest as an out-of-state new investor Short-term rentals can be challenging and is always subject to new local registration and taxes. 

However, the self employment could (or could not) pose an issue depending on how much you pay yourself yearly and what you report on your tax returns.  

Any tips for ripping it out?

Any tips for someone starting out that you wish you knew?

To add to this there may be some tax related questions you may want to speak with your accountant about.