Being that I live in CT, but am just a few minutes from the Mass border, do you think I should be focusing on one state over the other? 

@Ilan Friedman I would focus on finding a good team here in the area.

On the other hand, if I am already focusing on this property in regards to managing its renovation, why not just tack self-placement on the tail-end? 

We know it is important to focus on one or two things rather than trying to do everything so we would be interested to know other members experiences with our initial plan. 

@Megan Silver I do want to add that the reason I focus on mid-range properties isn't (just) because of your budget constraints - but because those properties will (generally) be more stable in terms of rate and occupancy; even during an economic downturn, guests who might usually go for a luxury property will scale down to mid-range, and you avoid the headaches of budget renters.I'm glad we were able to help you clarify your thoughts on this!  

Obviously i’m more focused on south bay.Also parts of east torrance have slightly decent deals and being in Torrance always gives you a better exit strategy then Gardena.

I’m trying to focus on the long-term rentals due to the saturation of vacation rentals in Marathon, Where I live.

@Jay Hinrichs   You may be right, the deals I make thought wholesaling, if I am dealing with an agent, he/she get the full comision, and they normally love me after closing, if I am dealing with the seller directly, I feel I am helping them, I try to do a win-win deal, I have close some deals with zero profit but in those cases I was happy because the seller was happily resolving their situation, right now I am more focus on building my portfolio with friends rather than make more quick bucks

Please click on the links, give them a read, and share your thoughts in the comments.First is a post that I feel will help not get overwhelmed with the amount of info that is here on BP:https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/5868/52761-the-simple-guide-to-getting-started-on-bpThe second is a post that will help get you focused with your real estate investing goals:https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/5868/52743-im-new-to-bp-any-advice-would-be-appriciatedThe last one is a post that will help you choose an “investor friendly” real estate agent.

The real estate "news" doesn't help much in my opinion, because they focus far too broadly with median home prices etc. what I think you are looking for is what is realistic to achieve in various markets, and unfortunately there is no consistent guide that I have found anywhere to explain this.