Currently, a hurdle that I am looking to get over is securing lending that will also have renovation costs built into the actual loan amount.

Memphis can actually be a great choice for real estate investing, especially for someone with your situation.First off, property prices in Memphis are much more affordable compared to markets like CA, so with $50k, you can actually make a bigger impact.

Talk to house hackers because that would be a great way to start, but you are also advanced with money so you may find smarter options that act more like index funds (syndications).Yes I was actually looking at syndications that was going to be my next research topic that seems extremely interesting and powerful syndication seems like an awesome way to diversify without getting my hands dirty necessarily.

That is not actually the case. 

I am the owner actually.

I'd say just start your search with all 2-4 unit properties, and when you find one where the numbers make sense and it checks your other boxes (somewhere you actually want to live and house hack), then it probably makes sense. 

I actually live Pinellas County.  

I recommend you figure out what you want to do, then actually do it to see if you enjoy it, have some skills, etc.

The non-recourse lender was actually the original seller who was financing - GEG was the middleman making a HUGE markup.

And one point the OP made about their credit.. only gurus talk about that.. by the time someone is days away from foreclosure their credit is trashed  having it actually go to sale will hurt a tiny bit .. but your not saving anything.