Talk to local money folks, property sellers, and those who look after properties for tips.

@Annwar ZahriehIf you are looking at investing locally (even if it's 1.5 hrs away) try and carve out some time to go to meet-ups and meet other local investors in the Philly area and network with them and vendors. 

.- Network with Local Professionals: Connecting with agents, lenders, wholesalers, and fellow investors in Alabama is a crucial step in finding your first deal.

Go to local Real Estate meetups and learn from people there

Many OOS investors set themselves up for failure because they don't invest the time to ACTUALLY understand:1) The Class of the NEIGHBORHOOD they are buying in - which is relative to the overall area.2) The Class of the PROPERTY they are buying - which is relative to the overall area.3) The Class of the TENANT POOL the Neighborhood & Property will attract - which is relative to the overall area.4) The Class of the CONTRACTORS that will work on their Property, given the Neighborhood location - which is relative to the overall area.5) The Class of the PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES (PMC) that will manage their Property, given the Neighborhood location and the Tenants it will attract - which is relative to the overall area.6) That a Class X NEIGHBORHOOD will have mostly Class X PROPERTIES, which will only attract Class X TENANTS, CONTRACTORS AND PMCs and deliver Class X RESULTS.7) That OOS property Class rankings are often different than the Class ranking of the local market they live.Class A is relatively easy to manage, can even be DIY remote managed from another state.

You can take this false affidavit into your local police or court officer (whoever institutes criminal charges in your jurisdiction).

One way would be to start networking here on Bigger Pockets to see if anyone has something you're looking for that they would consider a low-down option to finance you into your first deal as a house hack.In any situation, the first thing to do is talk to a few LOCAL lenders who deal in the grant programs for First Time buyers. 

I am a board member with CFRI, the local chapter for the national REIA and I personally know about a dozen private lenders that are members.

It is the State capital so always a lot of economic development and job creation locally.

My name is Matt McDonald, I'm a local investor in Columbia, SC, and new to the Bigger Pockets community.