Contemplating Out-of-State for first flip due to expensive local market

Hey folks, looking for some honest input from people who’ve been in my shoes.   I’m based in the Seattle area, work in tech, and make decent money — but I’ve been wanting to go deeper into real estate, specifically fix and flips, with the long-term goal of eventually leaving my corporate job and working fully for myself. Right now I own my primary residence and I’m in the middle of a live-in flip, DIYing most of the work myself, so I’m not starting from zero.   The obvious move is to stay local, but Seattle gives me pause. Entry points here are brutal and labor and materials costs are just as punishing. The idea of my first real flip being a half-million dollar learning experience feels like a rough way to learn the business.   That’s got me seriously considering starting out of state in a market where the median is half of Seattle or less. Smaller dollar amounts, more inventory in the price range that actually makes sense for flips, and what feels like a more forgiving environment to make rookie mistakes without them being catastrophic.   What I’m wrestling with:   • Is the remote management challenge actually harder than the financial risk of starting in an expensive market? • For those who started out of state — do you wish you had stayed local, or are you glad you went remote? • Any markets you’d point a Seattle-based beginner toward right now?   I know out of state adds complexity — finding trustworthy contractors, not being able to walk the property anytime, managing remotely. I’m not naive about that. But I’d rather solve a logistics problem than overextend myself financially on deal one.   Appreciate any real talk from people who’ve done this. What would you do in my position?