A house in my area, listed for about 130k, needs work, bank will/wants short sell (sale?)...

Hi @Liz White - I'm sure you've discovered this information already, but I wanted to share it with you in case you haven't seen it (directly from the NC Real Estate Commission):"...requirements for an applicant who holds a current real estate license in another state (or U.S. territory or Canadian jurisdiction) that has been on active status within the previous three (3) years and that is equivalent to NC's provisional or "full" broker license." --- view the requirements here.

On top of this, it is a very walkable city with great parks and access to water (Hudson River or Newark Bay) and a cruise line.As a heads up, Bayonne will be going through a tax revaluation shortly.

I mean, here’s my short answer—If you’re new and want to jump in the game, if it was my situation— I’d make an offer below list price, make sure remodel is legit, and verify those suggested rents. 

@Assaf Kehati Short answer- yes, it's the perfect time.

An exposed roof left like that can destroy a house in short time .

But since some things remain unresolved, I can't get into them for the time being.The short version, is that I had received only about 1-month notice to install a fire alarm system.

Hey, so I've recently discovered biggerpockets.

I'll definitely check out the resources you mentioned but do you have any tips for discovering properties, I find this to be my weakest point. 

But in the short term it may be the right option until you can get your first deal.