I bought a 16 unit apartment complex that was a expense nightmare, with low rents, that I eventually gave up trying to make profitable. 

Hi John,Welcome to the world of real estate investing—it sounds like you’ve got an amazing foundation to build on, even if you’re just starting out.

However, if you're a W2 high income earner or business owner, I can't imagine it makes any sense to flip houses, mail mass post cards, wholesale, or build lead gen websites with the value of your time being better spent other places (such as learning about real estate and increasing your income through proven means), such as at your 9-5pm or growing your business, and your real estate is a long term process and you don't need "home run" deals to qualify or make it work.

Also you seem to be motivated to build since you already have these lots. 

But success depends on choosing the right cities and building an experienced and reliable local team.

My love affair with real estate derived from my late mom who had a passion for buying real estate to build wealth.

But I’d say the key to success is building a reliable team on the ground.

I have 2 empty lots that I want to build 2 rental properties on in Decatur, AL, but there is not a lot of new construction in the area.

I am focused on building capital at the moment since it wouldn't be a primary residence for me, so I want to stay under $300K.

Good luck building your portfolio!