You also have to explore the STR versus LTR in that area to see which may offer a great NOI.If you ever have any specific questions feel free to reach out I enjoy helping and talking REI.

Many of the connections I've made are here in Minnesota and I just feel a bit more comfortable starting here. 

Feel free to reach out I am always happy to help and talk REI!

BTW: I feel like I've met a movie star just to have you comment on one of my posts, LOL!

Some of these other options you listed are decisions based on how you want to live and how you feel about having strangers in your primary house and aren't something we can tell you to do. 

We have several clients that do this, with or without employees.Feel free to reach out, we work with many real estate investors in this capacity.

And the garage feels oversized, so I'm thinking about the possibility of converting it into a 2-car garage and adding ~300sqft of living space as another bedroom and hallway that still connects the house to the garage, so that the new layout will be 2500sqft, 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom with a 600sqft 2-car garage.

The increase on your quality of life is hard to measure, but easy to feel. 2) As you mentioned, APPRECIATION will most likely be higher in more desirable areas.

I want a free and clear title. another property down the road, vacant, owners I can’t find and probably aren’t citizens of US.

(I'm a data scientist and feel comfortable crunching #s)Thanks!