My niche is single family/townhouses to start, with a strategy to buy and hold for the long term.

Read books on investing in real estate, listen to the podcasts, attend webinars and stay active on the forums while connecting with other investors in your area and pick a niche.

I have been doing a lot of reading and search of my own but will like to hear from anyone with a lot more experience than myself.....Currently seeking to buy 2-4 unit multifamily rental property in Queens, more specifically in Maspeth and Ridgewood areas. 

Actually, these days I run three hedge funds and so I have gone away from partnering on specific deals. 

We have direct mailers, door-knockers, secret niche strategies that few know about, etc. 

Read books on investing in real estate, listen to the podcasts, attend webinars and stay active on the forums while connecting with other investors in your area and pick a niche.

So you want to screen for a good tenant/buyer and not just accept the first party who is interested but has little chance of ever qualifying for a loan and cashing out the owner.Also I strongly encourage you to consult an experienced real estate attorney to make sure you are complying with state laws (specifically your state's real estate commission laws). 

I live in Indiana, but want to market out of state, to specific states.

And anything specific that i need to keep in mind while participating in the bid ?

I'm happy to answer any specific questions you might have.