I would like to speak with local investors, real estate agents, property managers, lenders, etc. from the area.

Not the land and the development of the land? 

Together, the property nets us roughly $1,400/month after expenses.Equity Split: My partner owns 60%, and I own 40%.I'm exploring ways to take out my equity without disrupting this deal, as I feel this isn't the best financial decision for me right now.

If you end up in Ohio I'd imagine you'd look at Cleveland as it's the cheapest.

In theory, you should be able to manage the job remotely, but there is a reason why I show up at least every other day.What is in dispute?

Having a long-term rental while living abroad is do-able.Flipping houses while abroad, in my opinion, more difficult, especially if its your first go around with real estate.I would recommend taking a flight and staying in the area for a week and inspect the neighborhoods and make connections.You can reach out to @Elenis Camargo who has a PM company in Jacksonville.Best of luck though.

Only the shell was left intact, and everything else was built from scratch.

If not in-the-know with what all that means, it means that is the absolute MAX ceiling $ that would even be considered and everything through DD has to come out great. 

That did help me get a clearer picture of the full process.

You may end up with a little more vacancy today because you stuck to your guns but if your criteria are solid you will have better overall results in the long run and investing is for the long haul.