It's difficult tell of course, but, could it make a difference to rather than having 4 full-time remote engineers (soon to be 5?) to have 1 great local engineer

It's difficult tell of course, but, could it make a difference to rather than having 4 full-time remote engineers (soon to be 5?) to have 1 great local engineer? Someone who sits next to you all day, someone you can create a bond with, someone you can look in the eye, someone who's equal to you when it comes to engineering work, someone who can cover you if you're not there for a day or two. My experience with developers is that you get what you pay for.