They should be able to answer more direct questions and provide a comparable market analysis (CMA) on a property and how the market is performing nearby.

At the end of the day, people are what’s most important.If your goal is to save or stockpile the most money, then yes, renting out the new house might be the best bet if you can leave for cheaper elsewhere (which it sounds like you are).

Mine is a nearby young Grandma who watches the grand babies and likes to have disposable cash from visiting my property 2-3x a week for an hour.

I've discovered that:They only work with industrial and/or retail (and seem curious/surprised why I'm investigating apartments)They are the listing agents for properties in the area (it is a sellers market where I live).Being a first time investor, I'd like to have a trusted professional in my corner; using a listing agent (at least to me) represents a conflict of interest.Should I be cold calling firms outside of my immediate locale, such as major cities nearby (or national)? 

Keep in mind, this is 2 full sized duplexes on one lot.Owner evicted previous tenants as they were giving her major hassles, plus she lives out of state and didn't have someone nearby she could trust to take care of business.

Lenders also have a lot of other things they'll consider like:-Property Location -Local Economy/Population Trends (Figure you want at least 25k people or be nearby a city of over 100k)-Zoning - Building must be properly zoned for the amount of units it has-Experience (you have enough experience to qualify for a multifamily investment)The truth is there is no one size fits all answer because every lender has their own guidelines which is where a broker comes in handy. 

I am fairly certain that my investments nearby will be more profitable over the long run due to the lack of control I have with my Indiana complex. 

When I search in nearby Baltimore, I get 0 properties found for nearly every neighborhood I try, and those that do have something are mostly empty land.What's the issue here?

Or can you set up shuttle service to a nearby lot?

The next cheapest rental nearby is $975 for a studio.