Nevertheless I am local now and I have that real estate desire (which never went away).

I still attend local meet ups and talk to dozens of investors and am considering other strategies like Mid-Term Rentals or rent by the room. 

Have you gone to any local meetups? 

Favorable Legal Framework for Foreign InvestorsGermany offers a straightforward and investor-friendly property market, with laws that protect the rights of both local and international investors.

A few years later, I hired a local Wyoming attorney to create a living trust.

Finding a potential lot won’t be hard but getting a local municipality to give you the green light to build an MHP is going to be next to impossible.

My best advice is to meet your lenders face-to-face at real estate clubs, conferences, or other professional events.

Leverage equity, explore house hacking, and continue learning through books, podcasts, and local networking to refine your strategy.

We recently relocated to Phoenix last summer and I'm starting to look for recommendations for local credit unions here in Phoenix which are trustworthy, low rates, personal touch, easy/simple to work with, etc. 

There are some great meetups in Northern New Jersey that you can find in the Meetups and Events section here.