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.  

The first being that I can direct that time and energy to my work and easily multiply whatever small profits I would gain from a small investment property.

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. 

I would like to connect with people who I can partner with to help move to the next level. 

My first question would be:  is this one-level living?