You will also want to check the court systems to see if there are any judgments against current or previous owners that could attach as liens to the property (these often are not recorded in the same way deeds and other liens are).

I get more people reaching out to me from across the country then I do in my backyard.  

Put the ball in the tenant's hands but keep them on your court.

*"Where" because I am ready to move to any market in the country that could make it work for me.

Real quick - I am in the East Lansing, MI area (God's Country).

If you do chances are you will be the defendant in a court action, even though the tenant isn't doing what she is supposed to.

The other day, i was telling some one on this site about a guy using cheap labour in foreign countries at $2 an hour to get hand written letters to send to absentee owners.

I have a 4 storey commercial office building in another country and 2 storeys out of 4 storeys were vacant.We had 2 sub meters installed, whatever the electricity bill came from authority, we would look at the sub meter readings and divide accordingly.

If you can't get a referral you may want to spend a morning sitting in on landlord tenant court.

If that's listing probates, then you'd better know the process, court system and be an experienced problem solver.