I have some good friends here that may be able to help as well. 

I have to decide if im going to use a new injection of capital from the sale of my primary residence to:1) Hold in treasury bills at 4.5 percent until I find another property to purchase2) Pay off one of two existing mortgages, one at 3.75 percent and another at 4.5 percent3) Just find something to buy that beats either of those percentages on paper and be done with it4) Possibly loan out some hard money/broker it to a friend to allocateIts never an easy decision, but its a good problem to have.

What you're doing there is making friends, and you make a lot of friends this way.

Scranton area seems to be a lot more landlord friendly than New York is, and the numbers seem better as well, Section 8 seems appealing for the guaranteed income but I will definitely take that information under consideration as I’m looking to invest in the area. 

Make small talk, learn about them, show you are truly interested in them as a friend.

Try Ethan Whitley with Crye-Leike Realtors, he is good friend and does alot of commercial in the area.

Once you buy a few the deals start coming from all places you wouldn't expect.I met a business owner in town and became friends.

Years ago, a friend of mine took on a similar challenge in an older neighborhood near Chicago..he opened up the top floor to create a master suite that felt less like a converted attic and more like a boutique hotel room.

Alternatively, your GC can keep you posted on progress, but having a local project manager or even a trusted friend to occasionally drop by can provide extra peace of mind.Hope this helps, and good luck with your rehab project!

Overland Park, KS vs Kansas City, MO) Very landlord friendly, worst case eviction is usually 8 weeks + $500 + lost rent (cannot comment on individual cases and this is not legal advice) Large diverse metro area - variety of jobs, companies, people can have a career in KC.