Paulette, it is good to call out these bad contractors and unfortunately you are caught in a bad situation on what to do, start by a small threat that you will contact the BBB and report a claim if he does not show some progress, or if you know an attorney, maybe a simple letter from one may get him worried and he may start showing up.

Check out Norada Capital with a simple no fees structure and 12-15% annual yield depending on how much you invest.  

I cant comment on the local markets, etc, but I would choose Cleveland for the simple fact you live there.

Make a simple spreadsheet or written list with the features of each and see which ones appeal to you most.

Keep in mind all this stuff is uber regulated, very detailed, far from simple.

Buy and renovate the property and in 6 months do a simple cash out refinance and pull out some cash and start the REI process all over again.I am North of you up in Pinellas County West of Tampa and there are also some great places up here that might save you some cash. 

They simple do not appreciate like the A/B class, that's just reality. 

@ali BooneIt’s simple because 100% of people ticket foreclosed on have mortgages.

Simple things like a branded email at your domain and a website can open a lot of doors. 

“ cash flow returns” almost always compare horribly to a simple bank CD after you deduct for insurance, prop taxes< vacancy, capex, prop management (or your personal time.) etc etc etc.