I will be pooring over all the posts I can find that relate to my question but until then some general advice would be awesome.

If you're wanting to self-manage to save money or just to get experience, investing in your area is generally the better bet. 

I have also been reading everything that I can get my hands on;  Rich Dad Poor Dad, Cash Flow Quadrant, Richest Man in Babylon, 10x rule, Set for Life and Long-Distance Real Estate Investing. 

I don't know what geniuses are buying these assets and more importantly, who are the smart folks investing capital into these deals... but they are happening.I won't touch these deals but we will know who made the right (or lucky) bet in the next  few years.

I bet he does.

@Shawn Ryan I wouldn't bet the farm (but I'd bet the cat*) that she's going to end up leaving money on the table if she sells on her own.If she finds her own buyer, it's highly unlikely that she has the person who is willing to pay the highest price for the property.  

Your best bet for finding a deal in the Kenosha market is going to be an off-market deal.Let me know if you have any questions about Kenosha.

"He that lieth down with dogs shall rise up with fleas" has been attributed to Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack.[1][2] The Latin has been unreliably attributed to Seneca[3][4], but not linked to any specific work.The quote has a large almost universally agreed meaning of "You should be cautious of the company you keep.

If not would my best bet be to find a small bank who will financing these deal who doesn’t sell the mortgages to Fannie and Freddie?

Did it poorly at first, but gotten better at it with time.