Best advice I could give a new investor like yourself, beyond taking advantage of the wealth of information on Bigger Pockets; is to find and attend the REIA and/or investor meetup groups closest to you (Portland maybe?).  

You are the person who has your best interest closest to your heart.

It appears the closest thing is St.

Are there any other things that would aid in building trust when dealing with a Real Estate Investor?

I have worked at the Dry Cleaners for almost 5 years as its was my first Job out of high school and an easy one, but the potential for a substantial increase in income is nill due to the limited hours and potential for the business to expand.I was taking classes at College of San Mateo to pursue a degree in Physics, however, due to financial aid issues and my difficulty with Calculus, that has been put on hold. 

I've looked at Ohio from time to time but the closest i can get is Indiana for properties meeting my minimum 5-7% free cash flow requirement.  

Also make sure to talk to the big boys like CBRE/Marcus & Millichap/JLL in the large city closest to you.

It also opens up avenues for them to start requesting like and kind reimbursements for living expenses, and they could keep trying to come to that well every time.If you do choose to give aid, I wouldn't do it as a rent credit, but a receipt reimbursement. 

My wife, father-in-law, sister, and closest friends tell me this could be an answer to prayer and that I would have never fully pursued my passion for real-estate if this hadn't happened.

The closest area to a clear "this place is good, I would buy a rental here" was the Mid-Govans neighborhood.