Don't pay anything upfront except appraisal fee.

We have access to all public records in Illinois and Indiana and thus do not have to pay fees for tools and apps other investors use for access to those records. 

Quote from @David Pulido: Talk to a few lenders to confirm, but I'm pretty sure lenders are forbidden from paying or accepting referral fees.

I have the money to pay it off.

When considering investment properties in South Carolina, it's crucial to pay close attention to property taxes.

Does this mean I shouldn’t pay down mortgage with such high interest?

I currently have about 9K saved up and was wondering, is it better to pay down 9K of my 70K debt now?

With that in mind, here would be my priority order based on what you have written:1) Have all the houses inspected so you know about major deferred maintenance. 2) Pay for an appraisal on all homes so you know if you are getting a good deal. 

Anything you find in these areas you're going to have to pay a very high premium for because all investors want to buy in this location.

If the rent of that 2 bedroom was $1600, that person would expect to pay $800 rent and maybe another $250 for electric, water, heat, internet for a total of $1050 all included.