Should I travel to these cities to look at houses in person, or would you recommend working fully with a PM or someone else to take care of this? 

Make it a weekly habit to check the website, read, read, and read some more.

Wow—first off, it sounds like you've done a great job staying responsive and level-headed through what’s clearly a tough situation.To your first question, South Carolina law typically requires landlords to maintain safe and habitable housing.

I normally vacation along the Florida panhandle like Perdido key, Panama city beach etc. and so naturally, as a real estate investor my antennae go up when I travel there and my curiosity starts to tug at me wondering if this is something viable for me. 

Before you amplify your financial and personal habits with real estate you have to get them adjusted.

Quote from @Rob Carey: Insurance with normal providers (State Farm, Farmers, Travelers) goes up 30% for third year in a row.

Her parents will keep an eye on her and if she does slip back into a drug habit it's likely to happen away from the house since probation can pop up any time.

When I vet a future-proof market, I’m watching for:Improving habitability: Milder summers, cooler nights, stable air quality, lower flood and fire risk.Water security: Access to groundwater, rivers, or steady rainfall.Lower wildfire exposure: Coastal edges or greener corridors where burn risk is historically lower.Existing migration momentum: People already relocating from higher-risk zones like the Southwest or parts of Northern California.Cost of living: Still affordable enough that buyers, retirees, and remote workers aren’t priced out.Business/food pivots: Watch vineyards, growers, and small ag operations — many are migrating north for better growing conditions.Coastal Edges Are Back in PlayOne of the most interesting shifts?

Hi Michelle, I'm attending but I'm traveling from Georgia!

The clientele is mostly individuals traveling for work (e.g. contractors, consultants, travel nurses) and they tend to be very professional and keep the place clean / notify of maintenance requests timely.If you are looking for a platform after you have a tenant with rent collection, maintenance request tracking, etc, I would recommend TurboTenant.