@Kathy Grossart,A couple of things don't fit here:1.

Some situations where they (the projects) do not go the way of making the profit as you wanted, but there are still deals out there to be had.. 

Bigger Pockets is a great place for education and networking and is full of great content.I recommend that you check out the following resources:1.

It was kind of a bad spot in my life at the time.

They'll have the same issue with the next buyer and you can always come back in a few months and make them a much lower offer once the property has fallen out of contract a few times and they are extra motivated to sell.   

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the local market here or want to connect! 

Allen, go out of your local area to invest.  

I am an out of state investor and I am being told the property manager can no longer serve the eviction notice.

There's a lot of pitfalls there that you're probably not going to be aware of without experience. 

You are priced out of Scottsdale quite a bit, but you might find something adjacent which would provide some good opportunities.