I am basically a newbie but have some experience in a foreign country (Brazil).

It gives you one property that can potentially pay for itself while putting a roof over your head and giving you experience as a hands-on landlord.

However, I do not invest in Philly or Pittsburgh I have 12 years of experience helping investors with multifamily homes in PA.

This is not only my experience, but when you call VRBO or Airbnb customer service, they will tell you the same thing.  

These two contractors may not like that area, or just had one bad experience, so it would be great if you could explore more of what other experiences people had/have in the city. 

I work with out-of-state investors and would be happy to share my experience and how I can help you in your next investment purchase.

Does anyone have experience doing this, and know how to go about it?

I’m not super experience but I do have a couple rentals.

I'm not sure about your partner here if he has the backing or experience as an engineer but my experience with engineers is they don't have practical real world experience like you have by doing projects all over the nation. 

Any experience evicting a non-paying tenant?