I am 14 hours into the 20-hour online course offered by "RealEstateU."

Your best bet is to ask for referrals from professionals in the space: realtors, other investors, this forum, FB groups, etc.

I bet both Columbus and Cincinnati made the list. 

Thanks, Jim Rice in person or online?

This options seems to be your best bet considering all other factors.

You may have to do this several times for all the different tasks being done.The only labor cost not covered by this type of online inquiry is drive time from the businessto the property, to the store & back for supplies and then back to the business address.

With the internet, there aren't really do overs -- most websites have other websites that grab (legally or illegally) information . . . it is pretty impossible to make anything disappear once you put it online.

You can talk to the bank about a loan; however, my bet is they will want some form of contract and scope of work and will only pay him at set milestones.

I have been reading the online resources about getting started, searching the market, and even doing tours, but I am hesitant to jump in and buy a house as I have quite a large amount of student debt.

You can also check their reviews online at Google, Facebook, or Yelp.