Question here is-- have any of you used someone you really like and can recommend?

I am new to this market and would like some recommendations for agents that work with out of state investors. 

Back then I used an online service to filter my target areas.

Any recommendations to manage this via a different route?

But it sounds like you haven't spoken with a lender yet so your budget could be higher than you think.If you need a lender recommendation, shoot me a PM.

There's always going to be a limit on what you can do on your own if you want to grow your portfolio.  2nd idea-If your goal is to grow the portfolio in the short term and your unable to use a 1031 to defer capital gains I recommend you discuss with @Aaron Hickey. 

I wouldn't want to buy in a high crime rate, especially violent crime, area, but what percent is worth my time and money?

Look for a site My Perfect Mortgage dot com.

@Tiffany Tran This question seems pretty location specific since every municipality has their own rules, I would recommend reaching out to someone who specializes in Philly, or perhaps posting in the classifieds asking for legal help in the Philly area!

You may need some other consultants, like geotech engineer (soils report), site lighting engineer, etc.