Appreciation is only a THEORY until a person SELLS, be it gain or loss. 

My goal is to wholesale some properties single and multifamily to build some capital while fixing my personal credit and building my business credit.

Initially I didn't have a personal connection to the area and didn't know much about the city.

And what if the one person you didn't check has a criminal background, has collections, and more?

I've been looking at NC and GA recently, trying to find some entry level and easy to maintain property, but there are too many areas and it's really hard to narrow down.

There is an amount that you can distribute from an IRA account to purchase a personal residence.You then might be able to turn the personal residence into an investment property.Best of luck.

There are many here in my local area and your area is likely to have the same type of meetings.Most of the deals that I fund are by meeting investors in person at these groups and creating strong relationships. 

Personal money How did you add value to the deal?

While I don't personally cover the Scranton area, my team and I work extensively with investors in the Philly suburbs, and I’m always up for a great real estate conversation.

I'd personally be a bit more conservative with the underwriting and make sure to see what the carrying costs could potential get to especially if this is a bigger renovation and not just cosmetic.