You probably already have a sense of your region and places that might be affordable but not to bad of economically.  

Should i reach out to community banks in NYC (where the property is), or in the area where we live (NJ) or does region even matter 2.

The amount of properties available through HUD very greatly by region along with the ability to find a "deal" . 

I market and target all over the Capital Region.

I get a lot of deals via bankers wanting to move loans, I also get a lot of deals via data targeting for regions, then look at rents in CL and contacting owners with low rents.

So what you might want to look for is a small local or regional bank who does what they call portfolio lending.  

Definitely great to meet a contractor up in the Lakes Region. 

Given what happened in the great recession, many established banks like 5th 3rd who are looking to continue gobbling up smaller banks benefit more from higher deposit accounts and quality performing loans on their books.If too many people in the region are taking the same approach, the bank may be closing the teller window on risk a bit. 

I'd recommend developing a relationship with your local bank that knows your area as they will be most comfortable with properties you are looking at and will likely work with you better than a larger bank or brokerage - this is assuming the product you are interested in is catered to more local investors and not the regional and national guys.At the core of it, for multifamily you'll want to be sure the DSCR is adequate.

They will drop the price approx 10% after 30-60 days on the market (Seems to vary a bit by region and asset manager) .