There may be more, but from looking into the neighborhood there are also a lot of vacant homes owned by...da dada dum...investors.

I am currently working for an underground gold mine and I love the work; however, I am somehow always drawn to real estate investing and find myself browsing the web for beginner advice and how to get started.

mailers, web ads, yellow pages, signs... how are you going to FIND deals...? 

Owners don't walk away from $50K + in equity.Go to the recorder of deeds web site and check for liens on the property AND any others against the owner (judgment liens can be hard to find.Something here is not right.

Here's one of 50+ that I received across the inter-webs from a single tenant.

Transaction costs can eat up a lot of equity if you move n a year or two.

Not a lot of useful info on the web site. 

I've worked with my mom's company doing digital marketing through web design and social media management.

It also includes common forms that you can edit and use.Their web site is a free resource with links to your state law but I highly recommend the book for some of the practical advice they provide.

There are many additions that you could research around the web but for free and with an eye on local use Its great: http://my.mnbar.org/residentialrealpropertyforms/viewdocument/rpf41-minnesota-standard-residentia