The past several years were like giving people the cheat codes.

Hi Adam,I've always been a real estate guy but exposed my personal portfolio quite heavily to a regional bank ETF.I guess time will tell if I'll be a "Hero" or "Zero" lolCome on you Fed and reduce those rates 😁Real estate is and always will be my bread and butter tho.You can't beat the safety of a "brick and mortar" investment per se.My best advice would be if you are going to go down the path of investing in out of state rentals to have a growth mindset.Buying 1 or 2 isn't worth the risk or hassle and you might as well invest in your own back yard.10+ years in the industry and my most unsatisfied investors are the one's that build smaller portfolio's.If a property goes vacant and takes a few months to get it back performing, with a small portfolio that could impact cashflow of 30-50% for that year.Our investors that own 7,8 or 10+ properties, don't even feel it if 1 or 2 go vacant.Just my opinion and wishing you much success

The ROI on tax tools varies greatly from investor to investor and hinges on several variables, some of which can be objectively analyzed by a real estate tax expert and some of which require some subjective analysis (for which a real estate tax expert can provide valuable context).There are really 2 "no brainer" steps to take to get clarity for an informed decision:1 - Read Michael Plaks' posts about this topic.

I have several questions...1.

There is not the risk of HOAs changing the rules like in other locations, it's a true vacation market with very few full time residents. 

Norman,The policy I used most often on the fix & flip situation you described is a "Renovation Builders Risk" policy.  

For example, we have several clients focused on real estate investing in other states that we do great work for out of our main office in Manassas VA.

I have done it several times now and have also tried long-term rentals vs. short-term rentals as I've house hacked.My response to your question may differ from others, but my advice would be to pull the trigger on the condo if:1. 

However, the idea of maintenance calls, risk of damage to the property, etc. doesn't excite me.  

I ask because IMO dressers are by far the hardest thing to shop for that checks all the boxes (quality slides, deep drawers, looks nice) without breaking the bank, which multiplied by several bedrooms can really add up.