And if you decide to keep a few of the deals you do find, you should be able to build equity quicker than in places where there isn't the same level of demand.Keep it up!

Commercial is different level than residential.

You can also look up the event section here on Bigger Pockets.Depending on your knowledge and skill level it's always a great idea to continue your learning journey on everything BP has to offer at no cost and then move forward with their awesome guides and books in the links above.You will have a thousand questions on the way and here on BP, you can get more than a thousand answers.

I spent a lot of time on City-data.com and Trulia.com and crime heat maps.I used google maps at the ground level to see generally how people took care of their properties and what kind of cars they drive.

There is a level of peace of mind that comes with knowing who you give possession of your properties to, that I personally put a high value on.

Now that I have settled from my move, I am ready to take my investing to the next level. 

If so, I would very strongly consider the merit of taking on $300k in debt in order to achieve this level of earning potential and perhaps explore cheaper ways of attaining this education.Rather than thinking about how you can mitigate a poor financial decision through real estate, I respectfully suggest that perhaps it's better to not make the poor financial decision in the first place.  

I enjoyed reading how you presented the different levels of real estate accounting and, most importantly, the risk associated with each.

The previous owners had allowed certain key aspects of this property to fall into an UNSAFE level of disrepair.

Generally, they will only provide between 65-75% LTV so the less you spend on purchase price, the better terms you get with the lender.However, the hard money lender will likely need a portfolio to lend to you at those levels; they will not be willing to lend to anyone.