Buy and hold Grove City, Ohio and surrounding area

[Ida Powers]

Hi All, 

I wanted to get some advice and bounce some ideas off of you. I currently live in Grove City because I commute to my job to Wilmington, Ohio. I own and rent a house in Raleigh, NC. Originally bought that to live in and rented it out to friends to move closer to family in Columbus, Ohio. Tenants are great and my house has already appreciated a decent amount!  I am considering buy a house in the Grove City area to live in for a couple years and then rent out. I'm currently paying $1130 in rent a month and I have money for a down payment and then some.  My only hesitation is that I want to move out west in 2-3 years. In your opinion, is it worth wasting money on rent if I have the capital to buy a house right now? How difficult would it be to manage the property with a property manager from afar? My family does live here in Columbus so I will be back a few times a year to check on things but I wouldn't want to burden them with managing my property unless is was absolutely needed. 

Thank you in advance! I really appreciate any advice or insight you can give me!