Are there alternative strategies you’d recommend for this market or nearby markets which are of commuting distance to Danbury?

Any tips/tricks would be greatly appreciated.  

What are your thoughts on Cleveland as a place to begin investing and What areas would you recommend I begin looking at?

Here are some tips to keep your projects moving smoothly and scale up:Managing ContractorsControl Payments: Break the rehab into phases and pay contractors as they complete each phase.

Gutters are a must, I would highly recommend installing them on your property if you dont have them already.

Many people choose NOT to have this, because the administrator will then vet every investment you make to ensure you do not invalidate your IRA.Invalidating your IRA means that you've done a prohibited transaction and the entire account is then deemed as distributed to you.If you don't want checkbook control, then I recommend a plan administrator such as Equity Trust - www.trustetc.comIf you are sure that you're aware of all the rules around prohibited transactions and disqualified people (who you can and can't do business with), then a plan administrator like Sense Financial would be a good place to start talking.  

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

A good tax accountant can save you thousands of dollars by leveraging entity selection and formation, tax deductions, cost segregations, bonus depreciation and tax planning.I recommend finding an accountant who specializes in business taxation, financial planning and tax planning.I would also recommend looking for a accountant willing to work with you throughout the year.

I can see many people's recommendations in the other thread being focused on house hacking, which makes sense to me. 

BiggerPockets also has a calculator to analyze deals, and I highly recommend you start this as soon as possible, even if you are not ready to buy.