look 1-2 hours away in every direction. 

For your first rental property, starting in an area you're familiar with can make the learning process easier, as you’ll better understand the market and can handle issues directly.

@William Taylor so many options...Use your RE knowledge to: WholesaleFind rental deals to sell to investors locally or here on BPStart leveraging your personal contacts to build your sales businessFind a motivated seller willing to do seller financing:- Move in worst room or basement, rent out all the other rooms for max cashflow- You could even live in the basement and STR the rest of the house

You find a Realtor in the market you're looking in and you should be able to lean on an investor-focused Realtor for property management, lender, and contracting contacts.

Happy to help point you in the right direction or introduce you to some great independent agents that work with us in Maryland.

Why can't you contact them and ask these questions?

He contacted an attorney, who finally got clarification from my attorney as well as the county recorder.  

The owners at the time were directed to our Real Estate agent and she showed us the property as it was a good investment opportunity.How did you finance this deal?

Your taxes are none of the ex wife's business and this would seem to address your concerns.I would also put her on notice that future requests for financial discovery will be two-way and if a discrepancy is seen in the other direction you will seek support from her.

To send them a message without booking the property, click on the listing, scroll to the bottom of the page and it'll say "contact host."