I took on 4 buildings - 2 of which were highly distressed.

But my state is a pretty quick evict state, our rents are somewhat below market, and we have extremely high demand.

Quality post, and so true.

While this is not unique to foreclosures, and should be done for EVERY deal, I highly recommend you get full title insurance on a property.  

Flowers, staging, high quality photos, video, drone photos, Matterport

Personally I'd think more about quality of life you are looking for and if that market fits into your overall investing goals.

What qualities do you look for in a real estate agent when seeking to partner or work with them?

The others are cold calling and texting which we highly recommend for smaller budgets.

I know to look for areas that are landlord friendly, have population/job growth, limited seasonal/environmental issues, high rent/price ratio, and areas within my budget (under $200Kish).

My experience overall is that the average quality is about the same.