Callfire.com or voiceshot.com for call blasts; automatically calls and plays recorded messages Use Jing/camtasia/screenr to record videos of your computer screen (for creating training videos for your virtual assitants) Use Odesk/elance/Virtualstafffinder.com to find virtual help Use Vflyers to advertise your properties; it links back to your personal website...make sure to have youtube videos of the property as well.

I would like someone local, who has good knowledge of local laws and can teach me the art of deal structuring.

And there are many whose size, layout, and/or ceiling height make them virtually unrentable.....9x7 masted bedroom with 7' ceilings, no thanks.The more info you can share, the more we can help. 

Check with organizations for fund raising areas, BBQ gigs, car.motorcycle shows, bake sales, boy/girl scout mini jamboree setting up displays for a week end, chili cook-off, small art displays by local artists do well.

Is it then a good idea to start in virtual wholesaling?

Go Pro - Eric WorreMaster the art of selling anything - Tom Hopkins

If you go this route, run Windoze in a virtual machine (Parallels or VMWare) where it is contained ;-)

They can work virtual no problem.

She changed their lives by teaching them art (she says she used to be a starving art teacher). 

There are lot of fun ways to get better at the art of negotiation, do you want to improve that skill in general or only within wholesaling?