I am a South Chicago investor and although I wouldn't give up on distressed properties if I were you, I would suggest to anyone wanting to go that route to invest in one in the closest area to where they live, and allow that experience to help guide them on their views on choosing to continue doing so or not. 

After that find a land based office closest to your home or work so you don't add a commute on top of extra study.I recommend a license and I have one.

The closest I could find was muni bonds. 

You can view as a map to see which locations are closest.  

Especially since it sounds like she expects it to be an interest-free loan.The closest I've ever come to doing an interest-free loan for a tenant is when rent is due on the 1st of the month, late on the 2nd, but they technically have until the 5th to pay me before a late fee kicks in. 

The tenant should be pointed to the closest State Farm agent, and they should say thankyou!

One day while shopping there recently somebody was at the range practicing, and I commented about it to the young lady store employee in the produce dept (which was the part of the store closest to the range).

Mesa and downtown Phoenix are the closest areas to ASU that will have the highest concentration of multifamily units.

The closest thing I have to replicating that is a bucket of starling/pigeon bait, a scoped .22 pellet rifle, and a vacant lot next to my STR.

The closest thing I can think of is in the title search, but the title companies are really just checking the title for current and/or potential liens on the property.