If I was on a shoe string budget I would drive and try and locate houses you can mail to or knock on their door.  

One thing I don't want to do is own the trailer and tie up my capital, I really want the owner occupied units only with the tenant paying cash outright or a bank providing financing.

Not really, as the property is tied up and a seller can be on the hook for 3 or even more months of expenses for $100.Is a $100 EM deposit on a $100,000 home sufficient when the seller faces foreclosure in 24 days and the property has been marketed for 6 months with no offers?

If you are going to tie up the seller's house and have no ability to close on your own because of a lack of capital, I think you owe it to them to let them know this.

Put yourself in the shoes of the prospect you're mailing to.  

We have worked out an arrangement where I find properties, tie them up under contract, assign the contracts to him , and he puts money in escrow for the repairs.  

The scammers that tie up properties for 30, 60 or more days with escape clauses that never had an intention of closing are a public nuisance as Bill Gulley describes them.

My ties to St Aug go back 16 generations...

We've enjoyed the monthly cash flow that our SFH rentals have generated but I am looking to put down more roots in Boise or other towns in Idaho as we have strong family ties there already and would consider moving back some day.

I was in your shoes once upon a time, and know how much work it is!