I've personally done just about every rehab scenario, properties I've lived in, properties bought as investments and even properties bought at auction.You've gotten good advice from folks on this list.

You can find something in Durham and parts of Raleigh, specifically zips 27610, 27603, and parts of 27604 that would meet your criteria, however generally speaking most of the inventory that would fit what you are looking for in Raleigh or Durham would likely be in neighborhoods that I personally wouldn't want to invest in, C- to D type neighborhoods.

Third, the typical person renting a room is not a home buyer candidate. 

I’ve only had 1 person look at it.

Stay consistent with follow-ups, sharing updates on new opportunities.Pro Tip: Host a webinar or in-person event to connect with potential lenders and answer their questions.Why It Works:Credibility and transparency make lenders more comfortable investing in your deals.What Do You Think?

Personally, my favorite way of sourcing deals is building relationships with brokers and nurturing those relationships by checking in consistently.

i think you can be successful if you are willing to do what you alluded to, which is spend time in person in your chosen market. 

I personally use the mass text capabilities through my Resident RE CRM.However I have a few friends who wholesale and invest and use Mobile Monkey to mass text and from what they say the price is pretty reasonable.

I plan on driving alot to find distressed or run down multifamily properties that possibly are owned by an out of state investor and reaching out however would like everyone's opinion or personal experience on some other creative ways.

Quite the opposite - I invest my personal money as just one more member, in each investment we end up doing as a club.