So how do you do all of that while keeping a laser focus on the real estate market?  

A lot of investors from California, New York etc... have started to put a laser focus on areas like Columbus, Ohio.  

I'm in my option period on the purchase of a small pier and beam home, but there's no outside access to the crawl space.

Find your direction first and then focus on what you want like a laser beam.

You can post the listing there and it is a LASER targeted community with the capability to easily share your post. 

To take that wall out you'd probably need to put a structural support beam in it's place.

Would you consider demo-ing the home and building a pier and beam? 

You can go into one 1900 building that used thick 2x12 joists with a huge timber as the beam and then go into the next one that used thin 2x8's with a small beam.

It delayed us about 4 months & put us about $30k over budget because of the extra carrying costs & all the high end upgrades, extra bathroom, opened walls with LVL beams, completely new electrical & circuits, all new plumbing, new HVAC/central a/c, granite counter tops, all new kitchen & SS appliances. 

Scope of work:New kitchen CountertopsTile flooring in kitchen and bathroomGut of master bathroomWood/laminate flooring throughout rest of houseBuild a wall (12'x7') separating two bedroomsNew Roof - and beams to fix moldThank you!