If you have a reserve of $6,000 for one property, your annual cash flow could still be hit hard by a bad tenant, or the combination of a bad tenant and a failed furnace.I'm curious how you manage to spend 4-6 hours per day on real estate.

The bigger issue is you need the ability to manage the entire process. 

I don't count flipping houses part time or owning a couple rentals, but working as a property manager or asset manager for an operator.  

House hacking will also give you some personal "property management" experience.

Can't wait to see you grow.If you're planning to invest out-of-state, I recommend reading “Long-Distance Real Estate Investing: How to Buy, Rehab, and Manage Out-of-State Rental Properties” - I found it to be very helpful when I got started investing 2.5 years ago.

Current interest rates are going to make it difficult to reinvest into real estate and not come out of pocket more than $1000 annually, per your current situation.I am also assuming you are paying a property manager with your current figures. 

Most management companies will tell you that games rooms definitely increase revenue. 

Include not only the mortgage payment but also taxes, insurance, property management fees (if applicable), maintenance costs, vacancy allowance, and any planned capital improvements.

I like STR but the maintenance gets expensive and frustrating to manage or do myself.

We own & manage a few Multi-Family properties in NorthWest Brooklyn (Park Slope, PLG-Lefferts, Bushwick) which I've been managing without issue for the last several years myself.