good area to buy. would love to discuss if you are looking for financing options

Cash is always an option if you can do that. 

The reason why I ask is because that could determine what loan options are available to you (and interest rates). 

If you have any questions on financing options, feel free to DM me.

If you have equity and decent credit, a conventional Fannie Mae HomeStyle (or the Freddie Mac version) would likely be the better option instead of an FHA 203k loan (which will require a 3rd party HUD consultant to oversee the deal in addition to having the contractor involved). 

If you move up into Pinellas/St Pete, Largo has some options.

So a loss of about 55k We did a lease to own option so I could immediately take over expenses but keep their primary resident loan and interest rate.We agreed to a deal which would cover all their expenses at closing, their remaining loan balance, and $45,000.

I was looking for some advice (viable target areas in Cleveland or Ohio in general, financing options and credible PM/realtor contacts) from the experts here though especially if you are in a similar boat as mine (reside in Canada/Ontario area and invest in US). 

If you go to the Lease Agreement Forms for your state here: https://get.biggerpockets.com/forms/index/, at checkout, it will give you the option to Upgrade to “Become a Pro annual member for $213 more!

Off-market deals give you control over pricing, terms, and creative financing options.