Hi NkRohn, welcome!
Right off the bat, I'd say that buying cash is a poor choice. Do the math and you'll see: With 160k, you can get 6-8 homes worth about 100k apiece. Figure out the cashflow after all expenses are paid and compare that to what you'll have if you were to pay cash outright. It's a very different picture.
Secondly, be suspicious of "fantastic deals". What people *usually* mean by that is "cheap, old properties in depressed areas". They look great on paper but are often trouble: you'll get more vacancies, higher repair bills, evictions, etc.
Thirdly, narrow your search and know *why* you're buying in the city you are. Each of the states that you've mentioned is very different. Make sure to do your homework. And, even further, be mindful of what *part* of the city you're buying in. A bad neighborhood can be right across the street from a good one.
Since it sounds like you're not living in the places you've mentioned, yes you'll need a property management company, especially if you want to scale up. They're well worth the money, but you may have to go through a couple before you find a good one. Rates are about 7-10% of gross rent.
As for finding properties, I've gone through turnkey providers for some of my out-of-state purchases. But if you do try that route, be careful when selecting one. The marketplace is saturated with them. I have bought with Memphis Invest and have been happy with them, though there are downsides that I've detailed in my other posts.
Currently, I'm buying in Texas. Employment is excellent, no state taxes, and lots of good, blue-chip neighborhoods. In the earlier days, I was scouting myself and buying local in CA, but that's inadvisable now, so I'm selling to capture the equity and redeploy it.
Take all of this with a grain of salt, though: I've only been doing this for 5 years and feel like I still have a lot to learn. If you want some heavy-hitting advice, visit Jeff Brown's site
www.bawldguy.com or read some of his blog posts on Bigger Pockets. He's been helping me select my investments and he's very knowledgeable about RE in general.