Please some one steer me in the right direction.

The thing that pops immediately into my head, and will be what you likely run into the most, is that it will sound like you're renting to essentially AirBnB their place.Why would they let you do that, and how would the lease be structured in a non-onerous way where the owner lets you select the sub-leaser w/o direct involvement from themselves?

I emailed you directly.

Work on a direct marketing campaign and target the area you want to have or move properties at, look for a mentor in the area as well, you will save thousands of $$$ in the future. 

Any advice, direction, book recommendations, etc., are welcome.

I'm currently marketing directly to property owners in various ways and have been able to find off market opportunities that way.

We're big on doing anything to make home ownership less of a liability and more of an investment, and it seems like owner-occupied small multifamily will be an ideal way to get our feet wet in REI without too much risk.

Seems to me like any of the good wholesalers market to their buyers directly and anything that doesn't sell gets put on this site.

I'd recommend software from Rentec Direct. 

Although there are still challenges (as with most older towns) things have been steadily improving for many years now - most residents love the place and are excited about the many amenities & general direction of the area.I would love to find a local wholesaler or other sources of good deals - any suggestions on where to look?