I used this comparison site to check quotes from local contractors.

Then you have to coordinate with different people with little to no professional background or even background checks.

You'll have to double check the minimum amount due each month to be sure you can make the payments prior to securing long term financing.

Check the Promissory Note and/or the TILA disclosures. 

It is an area we frequently visit, so it would be easy for us to check on our property when in town and we like the idea of investing "in our backyard" for our first property before branching out into different markets.

You can't offer someone who owes $200k on their mortgage $25k down with seller financing (check out https://www.biggerpockets.com/...), so another important piece of homework is to try and figure out how much the seller owes.

In addition, check out the chamber of commerce https://greaterlouisvillepartnership.com/ where you can find the top 10 employers for different industries such as healthcare, tech, manufacturing and logistics.

If you are living in Columbus I would recommend buying something you can easily check on.

An opportunity has come up, that appears to check most boxes for me.

Check out my personal favorite, Set For Life by Scott Trench , or The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.3.