If you are out of state, I would definitely recommend establishing relationships with contractors, property managers, agents, etc. before you start to make sure you are set up for success. 

Hey, I am a new investor starting out in Birmingham, Alabama.

BiggerPockets is full of resources designed to help you along your journey, whether you are just getting started or a seasoned investor.

A week before the original tenants official move out date was scheduled they informed me that they were “dropped” by the lender and they are starting to work with a new lender.

Look at what happened in FL when they started using Chinese sheetrocks.

As far as a company to use for skip tracing, find one that has flexible pricing and no high-volume minimums if you're just starting out.

My name is Benjamin Latta-Singer I started using bigger pockets about two years ago but never did much with it.

I've seen 1-2 months rent used in the past, so that might be a good starting point. 

I’ll start attending our local meetups though just to start building that network.

No current liens but these properties have tax deeds, not warranty deeds if that matters.That as-is value is going to make obtaining financing more difficult for sure.Financing options drop off pretty steeply below a certain dollar amount because foreclosure costs for lenders can be significant.Your best bet may be to connect with some local private lenders (local investor meetups/referrals are a good starting point for this) or local banks.