Mid last year I came across biggerpockets, have been learning about REI and am thinking house hacking maybe the place to start for me.

My parents live in the Katy neighborhood.It is very safe and from what I understand, has a good school system.A lot of the homes are 'newer builds' since it is still a relatively new neighborhood.You are also in downtown houston in about 30 minutes during non-rush hour times using the I-10 highway.I don't think you can get the 1% rule anymore in the area but close to it.Since the homes are newerish, hopefully the property won't have too much renovation / repair costs.Best of luck

Ideally, want to replace all of my income, but I'll start small.

You're starting from the wrong end.

.- I am in the DC Metro area, about 8 hours away....how do folks using VRBO/Airbnb handle check-ins for properties when done remotely? 

I started letting them know the requirements upfront.

Start by reading "Long-Distance Real Estate Investing" by David Greene.

that my be your best bet to start with

I’m frequently asked by new investor hopefuls how to get started in real estate when cash is light.

I would start with the comparables in the area.