You need hyper-local knowledge.

Take your time, soak up knowledge, and when you're ready to be more hands-on, you'll have a strong foundation and network to lean on.

I will however leverage my new found knowledge to put us in an even better position.

This is kinda like the whole paradigm of tax preparer vs CPA/EA - one will be an order taker and will just trade time for money to fill in the blanks on forms, the other will provide years' worth of expertise and knowledge condensed into tangible guidance that can save a multiple of their cost.This also depends heavily on the loan type.

There was an expectation that you already had some sort of knowledge base. 

In a reply above I also indicated something I left out: that the ex is not, in fact, entitled to my income or any knowledge of it, as I have no legal ties to her son.

Owners really only need to hire a PMC for two reasons:1) They don't have the time to effectively manage properly2) They don't have the knowledge to properly manage- Although you could invest your time to learn!

That local knowledge and commitment can be a real advantage, even when prices are steep.

Smart move getting your license — it’s one of the best ways to get hands-on with deals while stacking knowledge and income.House hacking is a great launchpad, especially since you’re already thinking ahead about investing upstate.

@Jeremy Beland Yes I have done a 1 time direct mail to vacant houses with high equity, but I was not prepared enough, with contracts and knowledge.