But today, you have a considerable amount of equity built in paydown and appreciation to access, and you can use that equity to improve the current house and purchase more.Many people find suitable alternatives to manage a handful of properties from a distance, so even if you move eight hours away, you can do most of the managing yourself by building relationships with contractors and real estate agents, paying a small fee for them to help as need requires.Only sell if you know the choice is mathematically correct, rationally made, and leads to more property acquisition now.

Patrick, there’s no obviously bad parts of Medford but I would say that the most desirable areas would be Tuft U adjacent where they’re building a new train and attract a lot of professionals and Tufts students.

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?

Another alternative: Roll over the 401K to your new company, then take a loan, maximum allowable loan $50K or 50% of the value of the 401k, whichever is less.

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.