You MUST be willing to occasionally travel to your properties or send someone who is deeply invested in the property like you are - not your own PM.

I know a couple that has a condo there they use as an occasional weekend place and do shorter term rentals. 

Occasionally, they may reach out to you via phone or text because your contact info is available to them.- more often than not, YOU reach out to the interested guest.

But my clients are gaining 20k in profit plus per deal and or equity if they refi to pay me off.. some deals dont work though and I end up being the only one making money it happens occasionally but thats on the borrower to know their market and such.

Occasionally clients will pass angry mail recipients off to me as "the source".

Or would you use these properties as vacation homes occasionally? 

Mostly because the net income by then will be around $500 or $600 per month per house which is more than enough to handle the occasional big ticket repair.The one thing I will say I understand is that I wouldn't want to have to count on my real estate income to replace my job income at a 1 to 1 basis.

Occasionally, they don't even have it then!

Occasionally you will run across a listing that lists actual numbers.

I agree with Anson that a multi-unit would be great, and occasionally I see one that works for an owner occupier, but you could probably do just as well with a couple condos.