I'm a fellow investor on the north side of the city and spend a lot of time researching properties all over this area. 

Just spend time on BP, go to some local meet ups and listen to podcasts.Feel free to look me up if you’re ever in the Raleigh area.

We search online and also post our own ads to get applicants, interview them, try on the ones we like, if the trial is good, we keep using them.Now I think being remote is not a problem, as long as we make finding right people and setting up the right system as our one thing, spend more time online to build the local network.

I have a good paying, secure job making 6 figures and I don't spend much money.

I'm going to be dropping the hammer on some guests who stayed over Christmas, were SUPER PICKY about everything and had me scrambling on Christmas Day to find pots and pans that didn't have superficial scratches on them... and then left the place a total mess, didn't follow any of my check-out instructions, my housekeepers picked up an entire garbage bag worth of trash - and it was just two people!  

My questions are:  1) if CI and friends are so "excited to lend you money" why is it so hard to borrow with good credit +cash without the lender spending all of yours? 

You got yourself into it and can certainly get yourself out of it.Trim the fat...If you're spending too much of your income and falling down on your obligations, the party is over.

Plus paying mortgage insurance of approx $400 a month is not my favorite thing.Here is my options:1) buy multifamily (if I find a good deal), spend all my cash and pay $200-$300 less than my current loan and be a landlord2) Buy turnkey property out of state and get $300-$400 monthly cashflow3) Implement BRRR strategy and buy rental properties out of state.

There is no electrical or plumbing so no permit is needed.I don't want to spend money on something that won't really yield a good benefit.

Of course I have no complaint about my assessed value being low because that's less I'm spending on property taxes!