Big picture: your takeaway is spot on—this business can cash flow well, but risk management (vetting PMs, reading leases closely, maintaining a cash cushion) is everything.

The key is to structure your financing so you maintain flexibility while keeping your debt manageable.If you're relocating, start by identifying where you want to live and what your monthly costs could look like there.

Since I’ve been syndicating real estate debt and a few equity deals for 25 years, I’ve made it my business to maintain a constant “overview” of the “product” being offered.  

Those sorts of things lead to accidents and possible lawsuits.I am curious, you have an LLC already, has that been maintained?

Quote from @Mike Dymski: Has to be tough to grow or maintain a real estate investing podcast right now with so few transactions. 

Most property managers won’t care for your home the way you would, and poor management can easily lead to an under-maintained, underperforming asset that’s expensive to fix or get out of.By renting your home, you get to “test drive” landlording with minimal risk while still building equity.

Many investors grow their portfolios this way while maintaining their W-2 or other businesses.So I’d frame it this way: waiting for the “perfect” deal in your backyard could keep you stuck for years, while taking action in a proven cash flow market could accelerate your growth and learning curve right now.

That is the most important part, trying to balance volume with maintaining good relationship with everyone.

Some markets only see strong demand for a fraction of the year, which makes it difficult to maintain a steady income stream.

Self-employed construction contractors are among the best because they usually maintain the house well and make improvements.