Any advice to clearly seem minimum rental requirements for st louis so we can bring this to their attention or better inform our own situation would he great.Has anyone else dealt with a similar situation?

Not sure if you'd like to self-manage or not, but either way you'll need to build out a good team - realtor, property manager, contractor, bookkeeper, etc.

My logic is, I would be paying for a lease so I might has well build up equity in a mortgage instead and if I found a fixer-upper then have equity also.How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?

Looking as well

Consider attending local real estate meetups or joining online forums where local investors share insights and opportunities.Educate Yourself Continuously: The real estate market is constantly changing, so staying informed is key.

Fairly well read and open to partnerships/syndications/apartments.

Since she is the sole owner and has the deed, this sounds like given the information you have provided the way to go 

I agree with @Autumn Cain 19121 has good potential as well but you will most likely want to be south of Cecil B.

After closing, we discovered that for about 5-6 of the properties, tenants had been granted "sweetheart leases", well below market rates, extending through 2027 and beyond.

So, do I find my own team and invest (at least to start) in North Jersey, or do I use my friend and his contacts and invest out of state?