Texas is also the poster child of land in the path of progress richs being made. 

Do not shoot yourself in the foot and walk away from what could be a great property.

I have an opportunity on a 12 unit property but being in SoCal and never setting foot in MS I wanted to ask around 

I went on Zillow and found this 1900 square foot house with 2 bed, 1 bath and a nice floorplan in the listing.

Her caretaker has decided to take over the property and is now an active squatter on the residence and has become quite the problem child in the neighborhood.

If it was me...I'd check with zoning to find out how many dwelling units I could build, and I'd find what the requirements are for those units (type of house, height and setback restrictions, etc.).Then I'd find out what local builders think the cost to construct would be - just get a cost estimate per square foot for 2 or 3 different levels of finish.

I don't think that photos would help us with anything much, other than a 30,000 foot view. 

Been trying to research and connect with trustworthy investors, but I feel as if everyone who contacts or post are out for themselves and really don't want to help others trying to get their foot in the door.  

Many newer investors have to start somewhere and older more-beat-up homes are cheaper and can help someone get their foot in the door.As for appreciation, this too is location dependent.

My goal is to learn as much as I can, connect with experienced investors, and start building my portfolio.I believe wholesaling offers a great opportunity to get my foot in the door without the large upfront capital required for traditional investments.