Im instituting professionally made video walkthroughs and requiring tenants to drive by the property.

Did you have a professional (title company or attorney) run a full title search?

Also, I have friends who live in PA and would be a good resource for professional CPA services there if you go that route.

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

The most “professional” one I’ve talked to is a guy that drives around collecting cash from tenants once a month- having close to $10,000 in his car!

I had to repeatedly travel back to the house over and over for meetings with a specific firm of plumbers that the HOA insisted come there with the brief to persuade me to believe I had pipes leaking under my slab foundation - and push me to pay them for extensive unnecessary works.The previous (independent) pumpers and the engineer had already explored all this and confirmed no such issues The Board started inviting me to take part in the morning meetings they set up monthly to argue with homeowners who have broken rules. 

Your name is still on the original loan, even though your name may be off titlenow, so that should Not have helped your DTI.I always discourage people from doing shady, mtg fraud related actions,  it barring you stating you Will sell, or have already sold, I’d explore putting the title back like it was, and carry on.

The challenge I encounter was raising my hard money to close this deal at first.Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

I can't speak to the professional real estate side of your questioning but re: the "from away" bias... 

The more bedrooms you have, the more attractive the rent from furnished shared house rentals to professionals (1 per room) can be.