The best places to invest are markets where those factors are present but the greedy get-rich-quick type investors have not all piled in yet.

No one is going to give you cash to buy a property at auction without already having collateral as security unless you are sleeping with them or you have a rich uncle willing to just write a check for you.

My name is Andrew, a current investor/blogger looking to start building my assets and reducing my liabilities (I'm fresh off the book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad")I currently work at a company that offers a very handsome "homebuyers program" which offers about $30,000 to be allocated towards the purchase of this across 10 years of "bonus money" (which becomes taxable income) ($7500 upfront total and $2500 for the 9 years after) allocated to employees as long as they meet these three conditions:1.

Perhaps being a hard money lender to local flippers/investors would be something I would do, and go for a 10% annual return.I don't know what you plan to do with your debt, but I plan to leverage as much as possible a la Keith Weinhold/Get Rich Education.  

After attending some of the free “get rich in real estate” seminars it became clear that I would have to come up with my own system for R.E Investing and Rehabbing.

Flipping is viewed by them as a easy get rich quick plan. 

Further food for thought:, if you haven't already , I'd do a thorough estimate of how much up to code conversion might cost.

Moreover, all I could think of was the quote in Rich Dad Poor Dad where he says "you get rich from building financial intelligence, and you build financial intelligence by solving financial problems.

Thanks @Ned Carey definitely food for thought, I think once I finally fly out to the states and get a feel for Baltimore I can get a better picture.

People who understand science and tech will be in high demand for the foreseeable future.On the flip side, while you are doing your flipping gig, pick up certifications like PMP, which are in high demand and will keep food on your table if the flipping thing doesn't do well for a few years.