I purchased both in city with an air-force base near by, with a strong demand for families to live in a home with a yard; also has the best school district around! 

Welcome @JG Utley You can find nearby investors here https://www.biggerpockets.com/meetFor upcoming meetups near you , you can search for them here https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521-events-and-happenings

@Frank Yaccarino I originally found my agent when I was looking on Zillow for a personal residence, and I clicked on the nearby agents on the property page. 

You could start by looking at nearby comparable properties to see if they allocate any of these costs to the tenant via RUBS or something else. 

Make sure to also reach out to investors nearby here, it can help a lot get you started https://www.biggerpockets.com/meet

If he agrees, you could offer to move his stuff to a nearby storage unit instead of the landfill.

I keep trying to explain that pricing, especially in and nearby the DMV area everything is over priced lol.

I owned a 4 family nearby.

Whether or not I live nearby, I would still be hiring someone to do the repairs as needed.4) Are there any "Must Read" books on how to be a successful landlord?

I would really not do what others say unless they do what you want to do.I would tend to invest in a diverse economy, has a population that is growing, and public transportation nearby.