He knows local investors to bring me bids now that property is cleaned out and cleaned up.

We have had work crews from a local lab and solar farm (separate bookings, obviously) for 3-8 weeks that rent the whole house in the offseason.

However, looks like there is a harsh line as far as what locals can afford and if you go over that, vacancy is high.Watertown, NY- I’ve seen many great multi-family properties in the low to mid 100s.

These deals can be profitable in growing markets with strong cash flow and equity growth, but success depends on the builder’s execution, local market conditions, and your ability to refinance effectively.

There are lenders that do not have this requirement of course, but they are mainly hard money lenders or local portfolio style banks. 

Between the neighborhood recommendations, the renovation "trends", and the "challenges to navigate" I'm praying that a local realtor didn't actually write this.

But you knew the local landfill/trash incineration company had been given the ok to build a massive facility in 3 years.

If you're focusing on rural properties, sometimes local community banks or credit unions are open to these types of deals.

. - There are cheap ways for you to enter your local market due to OO financing that is not available OOS. 

You can work with a local credit union that does HELOCs, Home Equity Lines of Credit or Loans, on investment property.