Good on you for planning ahead and weighing your options.Some might argue otherwise, but investing your money in real estate instead of paying off your debt quicker will likely leave you thousands of dollars ahead of those who prefer to go for what seems the safer opportunity - especially since your debt is very low interest.

I prefer turnkey homes over BRRR, even though they are more expensive.

I live in SC (close to the NC border) and would prefer someone local, but definitely open to a remote resource as well.

May be a bit harder to find a tenant that way because people prefer their own space, but there are a ton of people who do it.Best of luck!

Do you have a preferred lender and reliable contractor you would recommend? 

i know many people prefer gas to cook with

If I own my properties via an investment holding company that owns subsidiaries that take title to my properties can I do a property cash out refinance and pay the proceeds to the holding company tax free to buy more properties that are fully owned by the holding company to protect each of my properties from each other.Would an LLC or Corporation structure be preferred for this to work?

As long as you can afford the payments and have stable income and employment, owning your own home is generally preferred to renting and paying off your landlord's mortgage. 

I'd prefer to go this route first vs having my tenants clear all of the plants out and having to do the entire appraisals all over again. 

I'd prefer to invest with the ideology of trying to help people keep their homes.