Have done that on personal residences as well as investment properties.I've offered all cash the first day of the listing and have a 24 hr time limit for acceptance to prevent shopping the offer. 

Should we look for locations that are central to 3 or 4 towns or set up shop in the middle of one? 

Is she a deadbeat tenant that stopped paying or a full fledged squatter that just moved in and set up shop?

If you set up your own shop, you can keep overhead low. 

Joe Gutmann - I have a personal friend who runs a family owned insurance agency, they can shop multiple companies and get you the best rate.

Currently getting them from Home Depot but want to shop around.

My family got into commercial real estate 2 years ago with a small retail shop.

Michael McMullen I would also live within your means, no toys, fancy new stuff, car payments, Starbucks (make your own coffee), sack lunch it etc... live like no one else, so you can live like no one else later.

I was shopping for a commercial loan and the big banks told me no.  

I'm not advocating turnkey but to be honest if one is rushing the difficult process of remote buying one may be better off shopping off a website of turnkeys.