I don't know if this is helpful, but consider what saving for retirement means.
If I had $5,000 per month left over after paying my living expenses, I'd be tempted to consider myself retired already. In fact, I'm an early 50s person who has been considering himself retired for a while now, on a much lower income than that. What do you want your life to be like? What income from investments will it take for you to decide that you are financially independent? When you "save for retirement", do you have some new lifestyle you're saving for, or do you just want to make sure that you don't have less money in the future in case the property rents decline?
I think you can arrange your life however you want. Does the $5,000 involve a lot of 45 minute trips due to you actively managing the properties? Are you happy with that? If yes to both, then you're golden; invest the $5k in a stock/bond portfolio just in case, live where you are. If yes to the trips and no you're not happy, have the courage of your convictions and live near your other relatives - if that's what you want.
Did you fix up the properties because that was the obvious next step, or because your personal opinion is that an all-real-estate portfolio is the best way to invest? If the former, do you want a property manager in exchange for a lower income? Is there something you want to do besides manage the properties? You can sell them, or some of them if you just want to cash out and have a more balanced portfolio.
What is this retirement that you are saving for? It sounds to me like that should drive your decisions. Whatever it is, arrange your affairs to achieve it as soon as possible according to your desires. You're in a great position, you can do almost anything now.
Re safety, I can't evaluate the risks of a city that I don't even know, nor the opinion of your relative. But you've proven you can survive divorce and take charge of 14 rentals. You can and should decide for yourself. Research as much as you want, decide on your own time. You are in charge.