Separately — and this is a more minor gripe — it was complicating my tax situation to pay state and local income taxes in a place I didn't live anymore.I pitched to my parents that I would sell the place and roll it over into a comparable property closer to where I live.

Check out some local meetup groups in the area.OCREIN - Unlock Your Real Estate Success: Stand Up and Connect!

Be creative in finding tenants by partnering with local, state, or even national businesses.

I'm sure that is true, because most mortgage companies aren't going to go searching for issues when there aren't problems - but in the truest sense of the word this is loan fraud and I'm just not up for it in my portfolio.I did hear from a friend of a friend type that she was able to close a subto with a small local bank somewhere in Georgia (property was also located there) because of a long standing relationship with the bank. 

Have you tried local Facebook groups in your area, they are usually filled with wholesalers.

Charles Scheib is a local lender in the Toledo area and he was able to walk through the process for financing.

Therefore, link up with local investors, understand local market dynamics, and keep informed about investment plans, sources of finances, and how best to manage your property.

Go to the local real estate events in these areas, drive/walk the streets, find a local real estate agent who invests in the area or works with investors in the area, and then go from there! 

@Peter Tu is a local agent in the Charleston area and could give you specific information that could be of interest.

I went to a small local bank for the loan and it really wasn't' much harder than a convention loan.