Or based on the recommendation of one person.Landlords have to educate themselves on what a good PM looks like.

I will suggest you do your research so that you can be making an educated decision.I can chat with you to give more insights into these cities.I have rentals in Houston, Spring, and Conroe andGood luck, and make it happen!

I'm not a developer, but I want to become one in the near future so I've educated myself a little but on the subject. 

Just like you I'm still in my education phase.

I really need to educate myself on this before I try and implement it.

Knowing the market well, having an experienced team, and making educated assumptions backed by data are things you can do to mitigate risks in real estate. 

Now that I have educated myself the last few years in my path to becoming a Financial Advisor (understanding and learning Real Estate is almost mandatory when being a financial advisor) I wanted to make the leap to expand my investing portfolio. 

Point I'm getting to, is if you have the time, maybe pursue something on the side that demand your time and make extra money while continuing to educate yourself.

Have been educating myself via podcasts/forums and the BRRRR book for a couple of months.

Check out the free beginner guide and other guides under the education tab above.