I would encourage you to utilize your profile to tell us about you, your goals, experience and your why as to it pertains to wanting to invest in real estate.  

The only reason I ask is pertaining to the condition of the home. 

This is more pertaining to the investor's return.

My questions are - as it pertains to taking my first steps: #1 After acquiring finances for a property from lenders, is it wise to deal with more than one realtor?

I'm doing some googling and striking out - is there a single 'best' place to look on the wa state governors site that includes the latest mandates/executive orders on housing as they pertain to landlords and tenants?  

Depends on the wording in your lease pertaining to how late fees are to be charged. 

Having not invested in either, what are the pros or cons pertaining to each state?

Everything in the book pertains to all the negotiating we do every day from getting our children to do things and even compromising with our spouse regarding what movie you want to watch.

Written by attorney investors, it's full of practical advice pertaining to management of investment property, has sample forms that can be edited, and - most importantly - they tell you what your primary state laws are and where you can read them.

(http://mig.clubexpress.com/)As a fellow newbie, my best advice to you is:1) Decide what your strategy and REI niche will be2) Thoroughly read everything that pertains to your vehicle/strategy and niche here on BiggerPockets3) Ask meaningful, detailed questions and use the search function to see what other people have already posted about things that interest/confuse you4) Read the blog...there's so much information packed into this website to quickly get you up to speed5) DON'T RUSH into a dealI'm super excited about REI too and the potential it has as a powerful financial tool while adding value to local communities/economies.