Then of course what rents are obtainable for units in nice condition.

Some lines of work are seasonal by nature - like snow removal jobs, entertainment industry, etc 

I need to personally do a better job of being able to estimate repair costs to compete with other investors.

I got started by doing just the same, and it landed me my first job in real estate.

Nice job! 

I'm looking to purchase an investment not another job.

My long-term goal is to replace my income with passive income to not have rely on my day job.

Hey Jason, the best way to find these distressed properties (off-market deals), you have to either do it yourself, which is a full-time job calling and building relationships with these cold sellers, or find investor-friendly agents/wholesalers sourcing these deals for you.

My clients there have done a really excellent job of producing cash-flowing properties, and there is a lot of growth in that area.

I didn't do a great job of explaining the situation in my original post but added some color in a follow up post.