To answer your last question, I have a good sized portfolio so I keep about $100k in a bank to mitigate any risk.

Keep up that good work! 

We work in NYC and need to keep the commute under 90 mins, but will consider any good investment in that radius (think New Paltz as the northern limit).

If your tenant is on fixed income, it may be difficult to raise rents to keep up with the market.

She specializes in what you seem to be after: buying up stable businesses for cheap, improving them, cashflowing and then repeating the process to keep expanding. 

-Tips from veterans who have done similar things-Suggestions on VA loan providers to go through- How to find a good deal in my area- Basic real estate language-How to find and keep tenants -Fixing up property to increase valueIf anyone has suggestions outside of these topics, I'm all ears!

I will keep having my contractor or handyman go to the inspections.

I appreciate your guidance, and will definitely keep them in mind.

Keep in mind you’ll need some money down.

Every time I asked them why this is so expensive they keep playing the same records, we trust our contractor, if you want better deal you might want to find out someone yourself who  would do it less expensive.