Try talking to local banks who want to do business with you.

A local property manager will make this much easier and handle the visits for you.Single-family homes can still do well, even with more apartments popping up, as they cater to tenants who want privacy and space.

Also, if you consider the fact that his 30 year mortgage is $100-$200 less per month than what local folks pay for rent, then it's not as predatory as it may sound at first.

Hey, I am an in the Kansas City area looking to meet and connect with local investors.  

I am a local Realtor and I work with an amazing team of lenders, title companies, and contractors.

My thinking immediately turned to researching local rental costs per square foot to determine income potential with triple the current square footage.

However, investing locally has become increasingly unfeasible and unrealistic due to the high costs.

Go to BUILD YOUR TEAM at the top of the screen and look for local investors or meetups in your area.

Looking forward to hearing from local investors in the area!

Quote from @Gregory Wilson: A few things there, Brendan.First, an LLC with you as a member and your (wife, son, pal, etc.) partner as a 1% member will file a Form 1065 which is about one tenth as likely to be audited by the IRS as a Form 1040 with a Schedule E rental activity (which I presume you will attempt to show is an active business).Second, you want an LLC because when your local Alabama handyman drives his girlfriend's uninsured truck into a van load of U of A medical school interns on I-22 when he goes  to get some shingles for your roof, on your business, you don't lose everything you have or ever will have to an uninsured claim.