Your most common response to tenant calls is....I'll take a look next time I am at the property.

As a professional you should have the ability to find employment else where, preferably some where less expensive, and relocate.

First off real estate is not a "job" but more of a career .you are an independent contractor, basically self employed, What you put into it you get out of it, you do not draw a wage or a salary , you are paid a commission, you get paid when a property closes. lets say you sell a property for 300,000 and the commission is 18,000.

But me is not a busy professional with no time.Most heartbreak in this business I have read about, the common denominator, is loss of control. 

Feel like this is common?

He said I would have to somehow prove that I still reside in MA for at least 6 months of the year either by having my employer write a letter or something.

The strategies may differ.A few perks to SA are strong job and population growth and diversity of employers.  

From there you want to get a sense for what the growth drivers & employment base for the town are. 

All you have to do is just think what is the most common building material?

Sam Sheuh mentioned the parents co-signing which was also very common.