First off I took the realtors suggestion and listed with the property management company he promoted to me.

Thus, when a foreclosure sale is held, you can set the bid amount up to the amount of the total debt, which would likely increase from 80K to include the legal fees, receivership costs(we suggest 5 - 10% of the rents collected), repair costs, additional accrued interest, minus rents collected.

This alone was most effective.

But if your budget is tight or your home only needs minor updates, your real estate agent can help you think outside of the box by suggesting simple DIY staging tips to help your home look its best.Bottom LineStaging your house properly can make it much more attractive to buyers, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, and every home shines differently.

From there, I would like to consider a 1031 exchange in the future to acquire more units.My current property management company suggested that they could handle a mid sized apartment building but I would absolutely not consider them for it as I believe they have overextended themselves and communication is lacking.

Surprisingly most zoning in the US didn't come into effect until the 1950's and most lots in developed areas were created before this.  

I suggest buying real estate inside of and outside of your IRA or better yet qualify for a Solo 401k then you don't have to worry about UBIT on leveraged real estate. 

I'd suggest not paying anyone for mentorship.

I recently watched a video of a social media guru suggesting in 30 days he could have a team in place in any market in the country and be up and running with a successful real estate business.

In short, having all the conversations and commitments in strategy, setting up LLC and all the fun docs of who's doing what, and I'd suggest even getting initial funding into account for at least EM.