Personally I love the strong economics of this area.

I.e. those that send one final bill, that's it, also have experience I want, strong references, maintain licenses and pull permits, know their skill sets and can manage subs, their own schedules, etc.

We travel regularly to visit the properties but I believe that is very important in maintaining a strong asset. 

And maybe to my own naive experience, I’m trying not to use a realtor in an effort to get a better price due to the strong market.

With $100K to work with, you can buy 3 properties in an affordable market like Indianapolis and Kansas City which are both strong cash flow markets.

Sounds like you are on your way to building a strong portfolio!

If you plan to hold and rent this house for a while, I strongly suggest you personally/safely inspect the crawl space with an experienced foundation contractor or (better yet) an engineer. 

I would strongly encourage you to attend the BARE Investors meetup - Bad *** Real Estate.

@Chris Shue all 3 are strong points, good luck!!

Several states have laws on the books mandating the presence of an attorney or other types of involvement at real estate closings, but you can use a title company to close your transaction.I'd suggest you use an agent who knows the area well and has a good marketing plan for you property.