I know this is based on the goals I have for my self but a general rule of thumb, after deducting expenses from my cash flow, should I A) Use the extra $ and put it in the mortgage B) Save, save, save to buy another property in the futureC) Is there a third option that I'm missing?

  (3) No location preference at this time, but I think part of the tax qualification involves some level of self management, at least to part of the portfolio (clearing that up with my CPA in one week) so I'll do one CA property at least. 

Hopefully a quick question here… I am looking to self manage our 2 vacation rentals in Paso Robles, CA.

Badly qualified applicants don't want to waste their money, so they "self screen". 

I don’t want to learn about self managing these properties.

This is a great place to learn and network.There are a few self-contained guides that you can access here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/guides

I am still learning so until I get better grasp and understanding I want to continue to do the driving for dollars, and generating lists my self, but that doesn't mean that I have to answer the phone during the day from potential leads.I believe the solution to this is to use a phone answering service to take down numbers for me to call back.  

Continue to self educate through BP. 

I’ve left that work, and plan to self-manage apartment buildings I own, formalizing that as a 1099 employee of each LLC.

This site is great if you are looking to invest into real estate, wholesaling, flipping, rentals, lending, self-directed IRA and Solo 401k investing, crypto, or tax and legal guidance.Alerts can be really helpful too: http://www.biggerpockets.com/alertsThere are some pretty nice discounts on many products and services offered as Perks to BP members that you might want to check out: https://www.biggerpockets.com/perks/pro