They will have better recommendations for any title companies or lawyers there.

I am debating using my local lawyer vs. finding a lawyer in the state where the property is located.

Work with your commercial lender/insurer/lawyer/personal banker and see if they know of any interested parties.4. 

I noticed on BP of the top markets Elizabethtown and Louisville are represented. 

I attempted to engage in professional discussions with you on here when I did work for RADD and represented them (Dutch) in a professional manner, you had no desire to do so other than to continue to post.   

If they just represent first time single family home buyers and aren’t constantly finding off market properties and reviewing deals, you’ll find a better investment through someone else. https://www.kiavi.com/blog/out-of-state-real-estate-investinghttps://learn.roofstock.com/blog/out-of-state-real-estate-investing

We worked with a lawyer over there who is a US ex-pat who created and registered a local LLC for us, which owns our properties.

A magistrate is the lowest level judge who deals with landlord/tenant and small claims cases but they don't even need to be a lawyer to get that position. 

You'll also want a lawyer to draft up the docs for you and register your mortgage on title of the property being lent on along with the promissory note.  

If you are not representing the seller, you can't list it on the MLS.