To add to my predicament, I have recently re-located from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh so my network is thin and my familiarity of the area is growing but not that of those experienced agents I'm competing with. 

You are more experienced than quite a few members on BP whether you know it or not!

Thanks Max, I was hoping to do most of that myself, but will probably have to have a contractor or someone experienced in jacking houses come in.

The Chamber of Commerce is one of the best places to find that metering,  You could probably get that information from a local and experienced Agent of real estate.  

However that was only one persons advice so that's what lead me here so I can learn from people much more experienced in this then myself. 

Just ask any experienced investor what they think about dealing with repairmen.

I always enjoy reading these experienced comments.

@Jacob TomkoThe one cautionary note I have about the SA market is...Although it is experiencing growth, what you will notice is that the growth is mostly outward, pushing into the surrounding area.  

However, I wouldn't suggest it unless you are an experienced investor.  

As you may have also experienced in RE, it can take some time before deals start closing and money rolls in.