I think for someone local to the area it would be significantly easier to find good deals that it was for me.

This process has been working really well for me.

So if the deal goes right, I get a return in the form of equity on the house, and my rent is also reduced since let's say, as part owner, I would be receiving a portion of the rent (which I would be paying...).

(Not as part of my consulting business, just as an opportunity for me to learn and perhaps build a relationship?)

Aircover is a mild form of property damage insurance where they MAY cover a guest's damage at their discretion, and you will have to fight for it. 

but if you say "can you walk 10 properties for me"... the answer is going to be no. 

At this stage, the main thing we need is for me to get back into the workforce and get some money coming in, in order to achieve that dream.With that in mind, my immediate goal is to gain employment in the field of property management, as opposed to wasting my time working in another field that is not associated with real estate.

I spent several months on reading up the stuff and filling out all the forms and constantly pestering my tenant to follow through with her application.  

Buying with an LLC is a great way to safeguard yourself and your property, highly recommended, however, if you’re purchasing through an LLC that was not formed specifically for the purposes of acquiring your investment property, ensure you own more than 50% as LLCs can get complicated with multiple equal shareholders.

Be friendly :), it's always good to form relationships with the city.