Following David Green's Core 4 strategy (realtor, contractor, property manager, and lender) gives confidence to invest anywhere.

I've been sitting in this position for some time and I'm ready to re-engage with the market. 

I've reached out to a couple I've found online but they were unprofessional and didn't inspire much confidence--and then they didn't have any deals.

for the FWIW file and congrats on selling your bizz thats a nice payday.most of the folks I have done bizz with over the years that are very liquid will buy as high end of rentals as they can  IE A class and put professional management in there. many states require on site manager over a certain amount of units as well.. so the PM is really managing this employee that is mandatory for you to have.. this could work well for you you manage the on site manager let them do the dirty work and you stay engaged and gives you something to do.. good luck with it..

MAYBE MTR, but not enough confidence to recommend that over a LTR.  

There are a number of guidelines the IRS has for performing a proper cost segregation study (which will pass in the event of an audit) Here is the link to that list on the IRS website:Cost Segregation Audit Technique Guide - Chapter 4 - Principal Elements of a Quality Cost Segregation Study and ReportI have never seen a DIY before, but I'm sure people do it.Depending on the size and type of your property the fee for engaging a qualified engineer-based firm to conduct the study can be as low as $3,000 (lower in certain cases), and the significant benefit created well outweighs the minimal costs.

Does posting on these forums lead to business engagements for myself? 

But if they are truly confident in your success and the value of their course, I would imagine they would WANT to invest in your deals, introduce you to known LPs within their circle, and even co-sign loans (if and when needed).  

For illustration purposes perhaps that technique would be more accepted when you are a vendor mowing a lawn or clearing out junk as a one time engagement but as a property manager there are significantly more pitfalls and potential instances of liability exposure.

Once you have this team in place, you should have the foundation to invest in any market confidently while not being there physically.