The right management company makes investing from a distance relatively easy.  

I'm an out of state buyer and would prefer to work with someone who has experience with long distance investors.  

@Dan Mitchen Thank you for giving a more accurate grade to these suburbs than I see some professionals promoting around these parts. . . .Caveat Emptor to the distance investors.

So distance is something to consider also if you do end up doing any of the work.My recommendation would to definitely go ahead and get multiple quotes and explore those options.

Do you have any advice for someone who is dealing with their first long distance purchase and management of their property?

I want the property vacant on the day I own it due to the constraints that come with HML. 

Long Distance TravelIf you travel overnight for your rental activity, you can deduct your airfare, hotel bills, meals and other expenses.Be aware that IRS auditors closely scrutinize deductions for overnight travel—and many taxpayers get caught claiming these deductions without proper records to back them up.

ETJ is an area that a town or city maps their ability to expand and annex within a certain distance of it's limits, usually reflective of their population.  

I am even looking at a commercial property that is within walking distance from my place and I'm going to see an agent about it.

Multifamily Utility Company offers a variety of customized Ratio Utility Billing Systems (RUBS) for situations where the constraints of space and/or construction do not allow a property to be submetered.