I have almost been thinking of purchasing buy and holds in out of state markets but keep reverting back to the "there is a strategy for every market" mentality, but cannot obviously get one to work.  

You have to put a value on your time and mental stress of whether your doing something right or wrong. 

It really depends on how much below value I can purchase the home and how much I can boost the value with the remodel.Hope this helps

If you do this, it's a mental obstacle to realize-- you aren't losing any money, you're just moving it from A to B.      

The vast majority of homeless have varying degrees of mental illness.

Finding the right commercial broker who knows the product type, landlords, investors and tenants in your desired area will boost your probability of success greatly.You could call any major (or minor) commercial brokerage shop and ask to be connected to an "industrial broker who works the Kent valley" and the receptionist would know what to do. 

In my state it's not terribly expensive and I want it to be a business so mentally, making it a business forces me to treat it as one.

I will be refinancing over the next couple of months now that I have the equity I need and will get rid of my PMI which will help boost my cash flow.

@Mike H.is correct, the leverage can boost your returns SIGNIFICANTLY.

I would start there.If you can validate that it is a legit ESA with a dr note from a registered Mental Heathcare provider (and not an internet drs note), then you may have to allow, which also means you can't charge deposits because these types of animals are not considered pets.